History in the Making Essay Example for Free

History in the Making Essay History†¦it’s who we are and where we come from. From cave men to cars that run on compost, history happens every day. Everything that has happened in history is absolutely fundamental in our current day existence. From the Revolutionary Era to the Cold War, America has come so far, and through the War on Terror, we continue to march on making every action history. The Revolutionary Era: After the British spent an extreme amount of money defending the Colonies against the French, they decided to shift some of the expenditures to the colonists. The result led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 (Lib. Of Congress, p. 1), when the colonists rebelled against the British and their absurd tax on tea in order to re-coop defense expenditures. Reactions such as this led to the necessitation of order, which led to the Declaration of Independence, and the Revolutionary Era. The Constitution: As a result of deciding not to amend the current Articles of Confederation, a new frame of government was born. 55 delegates from age 26 to age 81 debated, redrafted and created what is now known as the Constitution of the United States. These articles clarified many topics such as how much control the government should have in certain areas, how representatives should be elected, and many other issues we still live by today. Since it’s publishing in 1787, there have been 27 amendments to the original version. Jeffersonianism: Derived from the term Jeffersonian, and named for its discoverer, the Jeffersonianism philosophy held that each man had a right to have a say-so in government, believed in the expansion of human freedom, and believed that every person had a right to be educated. It also supported reliance on the farmer and agriculture, instead of relying solely on History in the Making 3 industry to boost the economy. Hamiltonism, which followed Jeffersonianism, was believed to be an evil stigma to Jeffersonianism by Jeffersonians. Civil War: Brother against brother, the revolutionized nation could not decide whether or not the government should have control over the states, industrialization, and most importantly, slavery. The southern states, or the Confederate States of America, decided to take matters into their own hands and individualized themselves to make their own rules. This led to the Civil War, where one nation quarreled with its counterpart. Although the North won, losing over half a million soldiers did not make the impact any easier for anyone to handle. Reconstruction: After the period of the Civil War, a period of Reconstruction began. Attempts were made to solve differences between the Union and the 11 Confederate states that had seceded from the Union. Though opposition from the Radical Republicans was evident, the Reconstruction Act of 1867 was passed, and military districts in the South were re-established. The South had no choice but to accept the 14th and 15th amendments of the Constitution (39th Congress, p. 1). The New South: Although the days of slavery had ended, the Southern states continued to retain control over their civilization. With the abolition of slavery came anger from loss of control, which led to the birth of the Black Codes. The Black Codes allowed whites to control the newly freed slaves by regulating the type of work black people could do, the hours they worked, and prevented blacks from raising their own crops. Freedom was not freedom after all. Foreign Affairs: Lack of support from the European economies post Civil War distressed the cotton crops, as the producers became overstocked. The North added some restriction to the History in the Making 4 Southern ports, and our foreign allies soon found other sources to fulfill their needs, which hurt the South tremendously. Industrialization: As America advanced, so did the way work was performed. Not only did industrialization bring forth machinery, it also was the birth of transportation and communication. Andrew Carnegie’s steel industry revolutionized transportation. The rails made from refined steel created necessary use of the railroad system, as did communication with the use of the telegraphs and telephone systems (Feldmeth, p. 1). Progressive Era: Along with industrialization came those who felt that anything old was inefficient and useless. These reformers brought forth the Efficiency Movement, which argued that the economy, society and government were inefficient. Frederick Winslow Taylor coined the term â€Å"one best way† with the idea that there was one best way to fix everything. He, along with several other engineers improved industrial efficiency. World Wars: Taking place mostly in Europe, the First World War between the Allied Powers (France, the Russian Empire, the British Empire, Italy and the U. S) and the Central Powers (Austria-Hungary, the German Empire, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire) was a result of the assassination of the Austrian throne heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. This event soon led to a full fledged war. The Treaty of Versailles would end the first war, and stake victory for the Allied Powers, but controversy over its contents would soon lead to World War II. The second war between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Empire of Japan) would be the deadliest war to date, killing over 60 million people. This war resulted in victory for the Allied Powers. History in the Making 5 The Depression: In 1929 our nation suffered the worst market plunge to date. The stock market crash, in conjunction with the outrageous cost of WWII, led to great losses for many people. Soon, supply exceeded demand. Cities based heavy in industry-type operations, including those outside of the U. S. were hit especially hard. Farmers were also a target, as the price for crops fell between 40 and 50 percent. The New Deal, or restructuring of the economy, enforced by President Roosevelt, would help lead the nation to recovery. The Cold War: The Cold War, as dubbed by Bernard Baruch and Walter Lippmann, is a term used to describe the growing tensions between the US and the Soviet Union. It would be the longest war to date, lasting from the mid 1940’s to the early 1990’s. Post WWII, the two nations could not agree on how to reconstruct the post war world. Wars including the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crises, and the Vietnam War were possible threats to lead into a third world war. The Cold War came to an end when Gorbachev launched his reform programs, Perestroika (reconstruction of the Soviet economy) and Glastnost (introduction of publicity and openness) (Wikipedia Staff, p. 1). It is almost impossible to summarize our nation’s history. So many events, far too many to place in a single composition of words, played key roles in the structure of how we live today. Needless to say, history continues to ensue every day. From our nation’s birth to the Cold War to the hanging of Saddam, America will continue to write a story we all should be so eager to read. References 1. Library of Congress (1998). Revolutionary Period. Retrieved in January 2007 from www. americaslibrary. gov/cgi. bin/page. cgiljb/revolt. 2. 39th Congress (1866). 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. Retrieved in January 2007 from www. nps. gov/archive/malu/documents/amend14. htm. 3. G. Feldmeth (2000). American Industrialization. Retrieved in January 2007 from www. home. earthlink. net/~gfeldmeth/lec. indust. html. 4. Wikipedia Staff (2001). Definitions for Perestroika and Glastnost. Retrieved in January 2007 from www. en. wikipedia. org.

American Music at the Turn of the 20th Century Essay -- Art Music Hist

To understand whether an ‘American’ music emerged out of traditions in the turn of the 20th century, we need to focus on the term ‘American’ and what musical genres fall under that category. For one, America, in a cultural sense, is seen as one huge ‘melting pot’, an amalgamation of cultures, ethnic traditions, beliefs and styles of music. It is very difficult to label one genre under the category of American music, as a vast amount of styles, in historical terms, have come about from a mixture of styles such as Jazz and Country music. Influences from a variety of ethnic backgrounds provided the chance for the growth and commercialism of genres and made them more mainstream. With the focus being on jazz and Country, it is made clear that these genres came from an array of ethnic traditions formed from their birthplace regions. The idea of music in America being diverse can identify genres as indeed American and that indeed an American music emer ged from traditions that entered the twentieth century. Ethnically, blacks can be credited as emerging the Jazz traditions from Blues roots and other sub-genres such as ragtime, but on a regional front, despite New Orleans being the birthplace of Jazz, it wasn’t made popular and in my opinion, American, until it spread into other cities, thanks to White musicians and composers. When exploring Jazz music, it is essential to explore its roots in Blues Music. Derived from the regional traditions of the south and ethnic traditions surrounding the slaving culture of the 1800s, Blues music can be traced back to the Mississippi Delta plantations and industries that demanded heavy manual labour for Blacks (Crawford, 2001b, 557). The blues inspired jazz at the end of the nineteenth century and i... ...aditions, primarily from the south, created a musical diversity and with that, an American music. Works Cited Candelaria, L. & Kingman, D., 2007. American Music: A Panorama, Third Concise Edition, California, Clark Baxter, Thomson-Schirmer Crawford, R., 2001a. America’s Musical Life: A History, New York, W. W. Norton & Company Inc. Crawford, R., 2001b. An Introduction to America’s Music, New York, W. W. Norton & Company Inc. Ferris, J., [1990] 2006. America’s Musical Landscape, Fifth Edition, New York, McGraw-Hill Malone, B. C., [1968] 2000. Country Music USA: Revised, Texas, University of Texas Mauk, D. & Oakland, J., [1995] 2009, American Civilisation: An Introduction, Fifth Edition, New York, Routledge Taylor, F. J. 2005. â€Å"Black Music and Musicians in the Nineteenth Century† in The Western Journal of Black Studies, 29.3 (2005), 615-620

Economic Theory Essay

Two of the primary tasks in the world of Economics are prediction and evaluation. This assignment illustrates, at a rudimentary level, how models, techniques and methods constructed or borrowed from Economic Theory or other Sciences respectively are used to help accomplish these tasks. To do so, we consider a standard theoretical model of consumer choices in an economy in which the only activity is the exchange of goods. Due to the above-mentioned we can say that the most powerful technique used to predict the consequences of policies or future trends is modeling. A model is an abstraction intended to convey the essence of some particular aspect of the real world. Most economic models assume the existence of adequate information, yet information is a costly and scarce resource. Good models predict well enough to increase our understanding of certain situations, even though they may not predict them perfectly and there may be related situations in which the same models do not predict as well as expected. Last but not least there are models that constructed without using any numerical data; these are based entirely on economic theory. We shall begin by looking at some of the ways in which forecasting techniques can help us to predict future trends. Most business and economic decisions rest upon forecasts of future conditions. Methods of forecasting may be roughly categorized as follows: * Opinion polling * Mechanical extrapolations * Barometric techniques * Statistical and econometric methods Finally, forecasting techniques vary widely in their accuracy and sophistication. The most accurate technique is to be preferred, subject to the availability of data, expertise and finance and to the nature of the  forecast required. OPINION POLLING The assumption here is that by asking people who are likely to be directly involved, such as consumers or the sales force, attitudes and opinions which affect economic decisions can be assessed and predicted in advance. Opinion polling is a subjective method of forecasting made up largely of a weighted or unweighted averaging of expectations and attitudes. This general idea of developing informed and deliberated polling opinion has had a relatively length history successful experimentation beginning roughly during the 1970s in the U.S.A. In statistics polling is about probability sampling. A good poll: locates people who fairly represent the population we’re interested in; asks them fair, comprehensible and useful questions; calculates results fairly, without reaching beyond the data; and  is reported so people can understand where it does and does not apply. The importance of opinion polling and the way it can be done is shown in the below Figure: Opinion polling is a very powerful technique used to predict future trends. Based upon probability sampling it can give people many answers upon many problems in the society. Depending on the size of the sample, the results are relatively accurate, scientific representation of the entire public’s considered opinion on perplexing issues. Today there are a lot of companies which provide a wide variety of consultancy services and offer top quality research based solutions to their clients’ problems. They also provide full service market research process, from defining research objectives through analysis and presentation of data. To achieve their goals they use research methodologies, advanced statistical analysis and strategic relevant and decision reports. Their credibility and reputation is reflected in the fact that their publicly released findings are regularly quoted by the media (press, radio and television). Additionally, these companies are leading agencies in Socio-Political public opinion polls and Political Candidate Evaluation research. Another aspect of opinion polling is exit-poll. For example scientists use exit-poll method to predict who is going to win in elections. The exit-poll method is not 100% accurate, but the error between the real results and the one’s from exit-poll is very-very small. Asking a small sample of population inside a society it can predict whether the conservative of socialist party is going to be elected. Finally, opinion polling is also used by companies to know which product of theirs is more consumed by people. Asking a small sample of people using questionnaires (more often) they can realize which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which product are less consumed and tries to find means of improvement for others. MECHANICAL EXTRAPOLATIONS This is probably the most frequently adopted method of forecasting. It involves the basic assumption that past patterns of economic behavior continues to the extent that past behavior can be used to predict the future. It has the attraction of also being relatively cheap in that the company is likely to posses most of the relevant historical information. Last but not least, the mechanical methods of forecasting rely on future conditions being an extent of past ones. Also, this method might consist of taking a time series of historical sales figures, and fitting a trend line to it by eye as shown in the figure below: This can then be used to read off sales predictions for the required future dates. To produce this line between the dependent and independent variables of data, as shown in the above figure, the ordinary least-squares (OLS) technique uses a mathematical formula to illustrate this line. However, the technique also produces a measure of the explanatory power of the relationship on the basis of the relationships observed in the original data. A mathematical formula for producing this line is: Where a and b in this equation have been estimated using regression analysis (a set of statistical techniques used to quantify the relationship between two or more variables). BAROMETRIC TECHNIQUES In addition with mechanical extrapolations, barometric techniques assume that present happenings can give an indication of future events. Also, this technique is based on the observation that there are lagged relationships between many economic time series. Moreover, to give an indication of future events, there are three types of indicators as far as economic activity. Leading indicators are those which tend to herald future changes in the course of business activity. Coincident indicators move in step with the cycle; examples of these might include aggregate levels of sales, employment and industrial production. Finally, there are lagging indicators, which trail behind the level of economic activity. Although it is possible to isolate various leading indicators the direction of movements in each does not presage movements in economic activity with complete accuracy. The reason is that the lead-time between their behavior and the ensuing change in economic activity is not likely to be constant. Nowadays, many companies who want to see which of their product is more consumed by people, they make a statistical figure in order to calculate this. Using barometric techniques they can find which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which is not going too well and try to give improvements for others. So, they can indicate from present happenings, how a product can be in the future. STATISTICAL AND ECONOMETRIC METHODS Science is given as â€Å"truth ascertained by observation, experiment, and induction†. The purpose of science known as â€Å"statistics† is to provide the means for measuring the amount of subjectivity that goes into the scientists’ conclusions and thus to separate â€Å"science† from â€Å"opinion†. Hence, statistical and econometric methods, similar to those used in time series regression can be used to analyze the economic relationships between variables. Many of the firms forecasting problems can be solved with a single equation econometric model. Laws of probability are applied to this model in order to determine what â€Å"chances† are for the various possible outcomes of the experiment. The first step in the construction of such a model is to specify the hypotheses, which purport to explain the relationships between the variables. Hypothesis testing is the process of inferring from a sample (a collection of some elements of a population) whether or not to accept a certain statement about the population. The statement itself is called the hypothesis. When the model is constructed it gives the businessman the opportunity of experimenting to test the predicted results of various strategies. There is a vast variety of companies offering a full-service market  research which means the capability to successfully undertake any research project from the conceptual stage through the design, data collection, tabulation, analysis, interpretation of findings, recommendations, and presentation. The projects they undertake span a broad array of industries, types of studies, experimental designs and analytical statistical techniques. They are skilled in the wide variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, providing their clients with a seamless connection between all phases of the research program. Their full range of custom research for Consumer and Business to Business research includes the following: * Tracking studies * Product testing * Taste testing * Home-use tests * Advertising research * Strategic research * Product Positioning research * Concept tests * Customer satisfaction tests * Etc.

The Debate On Abortion And Abortion - 1490 Words

You hear of all these controversial issues floating around conversation. One that always catches my ear is the debate on abortion. Growing up in a republican household, and catholic for that matter, it was obvious that â€Å"pro-life† would be imprinted into my head. My whole family, not just my parents, are against abortion. Also going to church every Sunday and learning what my religion thought was right and wrong influenced me to believe that abortion was killing a life. Since I grew up with this influence I subconsciously thought that is what is right side of the argument to believe. I was always a strong believer in that an abortion was the killing of a human life and was morally wrong. All the way up until junior year in high school I actually considered myself an advocate of the term â€Å"pro-life.† As a growing teenager at the time I was looking for freedom. I couldn’t find it too much, but after taking numerous political classes I found myself in the mi ddle of the political spectrum. Not republican, similar to my family, but stuck between both parties. I found that with certain issues I was republican such as not wanting gun control and others I was democratic such as pro-choice. When it comes to the issue of pro-life or pro-choice I now find myself leaning the opposite direction of my previous beliefs. The reason I went from pro-life to pro-choice is because as I grew older I became more interested in politics and stared to look into highly debated issues. I know that IShow MoreRelatedThe Debate On Abortion And Abortion1063 Words   |  5 Pagesstand on abortion. By definition an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and the expulsion of pregnancy tissue, including embryo, fetus, placenta, and membranes (Wicclair, Gosman 2005). In the recent years the debate on abortion has shifted to a different viewpoint that has reopened the conversation of abortion and has generated a healthy following for abortion control. The premise of abortion control is to implement community outreach programs that will help reduce the number of abortions. I feelRead MoreThe Debate On Abortion And Abortion1448 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion. This word leaves most people feeling uneasy after just saying it out loud. The discussion of abortion is continuously left open-ended with millions of opinions, arguments, and questions. Abortions occur every single day leaving potential fathers devastated or thrilled, leaving friends and families broken and distraught or in contrast, proud. More importantly, leaving the potential mother uncertain and even destroyed. But with abortion in mind, what is considered wrong and what is consideredRead MoreThe Debate Over Abortion On Abortion Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical debate has existed in America, there has been a strong tension between the ideologies of conservatism and liberalism. While there are numerous differences between the two ideologies, the core of each is expressed cle arly through the modern debate of abortion. The vision, ideals, and assumptions of each ideology can be identified through the way in which each ideology argues its position on abortion. The debate over abortion has been taking place since the 19th century. Abortions were legalRead MoreThe Debate About Abortion And Abortion1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe practice of abortion is an issue that has sparked controversy for many years. One of the initial problems that lead to the debate about abortion is the fact that, the definition of the term abortion varies from one field to another. The controversy arises because the language used to describe abortion â€Å"is a reflection of the societal beliefs of the people in that area† (McFarlane Meier 65). Generally, the World Health Organization defines abortion as induced or spontaneous termination of pregnancyRead MoreThe Abortion Debate2354 Words   |  10 PagesAdedayo Adeniyi November 13, 2008 Expository writing An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. Abortion as a term most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages. Abortion has a long history and has been induced by various methodsRead MoreThe Debate Of Abortion And Abortion2390 Words   |  10 PagesThe subject of abortion is undeniably a difficult one to discuss. There are many different opinions and stances which could be taken, however, the question for Christians is just where they should stand on this matter. The issue is that if people (more specifically Christians) are not careful then they get caught up in the different stances, different questions, and different opinions. If this happens then they will not be able to make a firm standing against or fo r abortion while having facts toRead MoreThe Debate Over The Abortion Debate1097 Words   |  5 PagesIt is no surprise that the abortion debate has once again have brought into the mainstream focus this year. Yet, this time around the age old debate is now attacking organizations that offer such procedures, vilifying the entire organization for only one service it offers. This vilification has continuously gained momentum for ages, but it was the attack upon Planned Parenthood earlier this year that has brought the debate to head once again. Recently Pro-Life groups took up arms to destroy the organizationRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Debate874 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion There truly is not a more controversial or passionate debate as the one on abortion. This issue is completely unique due to the firm line between groups that support or are against it. Whichever side a person finds themselves on, usually for many reasons, it becomes a fierce and firm position that will not waiver. In this case I am glad that people are so passionate, a human life is at stake. This subject should bring great feelings and beliefs up. I would be completely sickened if abortionRead MoreThe Abortion Debate Essay1544 Words   |  7 Pages No matter where you stand on the issue, abortion is a highly debated topic in today’s society. In this essay I will examine both sides of the abortion issue. I will begin with a brief overview of the abortion debate, to include the morality of the situation. Next I will discuss the Pro-Life argument. Lastly I will look at the Pro-Choice view. In the final analysis I will show how utilitarianism, altruism, and situational ethical views apply to abortion. Having in mind the extreme controversy surroundingRead MoreAbortion : A Controversial Debate888 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is a highly debated and controversial topic within the United States. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. When you have an abortion, you decimate the life of a fetus in the womb prior to delivery. There were 5,013 abortions in the state of Oklahoma alone in 2013. In the same year, there were approximately, collectively in the United States, 983,000 total abortions performed. In addition, there have been almost 60 million abortions performed in the United States since