The Unity of Northern and Southern America Essay Example for Free

The Unity of Northern and Southern America Essay The attempt of the Southern States to secede from the American Federation in 1861, created a dangerous crisis in the history of America. The crisis turned into an internal war and, by the superior military power of the Center, they had to be kept within the Federation as integral part of the country which was, at that time, already moving towards plenty and prosperity. It was a complex process, and the Northern Federal Government really showed some extraordinary skills in order to bring the South back into the political system Historical Background In 1776, under the brilliant leadership of George Washington, 13 British Colonies in America united together and achieved a glorious freedom. On November 15, 1777, a confederation was created in order to provide for common defense, securities for their liberties and for their mutual and general welfare in the future. But the system had many loopholes and, hence, soon the leaders felt that the system must be either revised or superseded by a new one. Thus, the Philadelphia Convention was held in May 1787 which introduced a full fledged Federation for fostering a sense of unity among the units. According to K. C. Wheare, â€Å"The fear of military insecurity and the consequent need of common defense, a desire to be independent of foreign power and the need of economic prosperity etc. have encouraged modern nations to form Federations† (Wheare). Naturally, it needs unity among the federal units and the supremacy of the national Government. In the view of Bernard Schwartz, â€Å"The American system has properly ensured those arrangements†. (Schwartz). In 1819, Chief Justice Marshall established the doctrine of federal supremacy in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland; and it was declared in the case of Texas v. White (1869) that Northern and Southern Unity 3 America was â€Å"an indestructible union, composed of indestructible states†. So, no unit can secede from it and, an attempt to do so can be failed by the superior power of the Center. The Crisis Yet the crisis came up in 1861 when the civil war broke out with a threat to the very existence of the Federation. Of course, a conflict between the north and the South was inevitable and this is a real wonder that how the breakdown could have been avoided for such a long period of time. In fact, ever since the formation of the Union, the units of the North and the South were cross-purposes. Ostensibly, the war centered round the institution of slavery; but, in fact, it was involved with much bigger issues of political and economic affairs as well. There was a strong reason for which the Southern states intended to desert the Union. While the North was highly industrialized, the South depended upon Agriculture and the finished goods from the North. Moreover, the South needed the slaves for agriculture, but the North was in favor of their emancipation. â€Å"The cotton-growing South, irritated by the growing threat of Abolitionist Movement, and fearing this predominance in the Congress, began to talk of secession from the union† (Wells). In short, the interests were very much conflicting. Gradually, the idea state-right gained ground and the Southern states began to think that it was useless to remain in the Federation. As their political fear along with the economic grudge mixed up, the existence of the Federation was seriously at stake. Finally, the election of Abraham Lincoln as the President of America in the year 1866 brought the matter to a head. His success in the election was taken to be the ominous sign of a triumph of the slave-abolitionists and thus, everything rapidly drifted from bad to worse leading to a five-year war in 1861. Northern and Southern Unity 4 The War It is during this crucial time that the quality of the presidential leadership was seriously tested. As Sidney Warren has observed, â€Å"Abraham Lincoln, reacting boldly to the challenge of rebellion not only enlarged the constitutional role of presidency in times of crisis but invested the office with the attribute of moral leadership† (Warren). He believed that the Federation could not be broken up by the Southern states in this way and, in order to keep it intact, military measures were to be adopted with unbending tenacity and firm determination. Resultantly, the South was defeated, and the Federation was preserved. It is a fact that the South began well and initially it achieved a number of victories. But the failure to capture Maryland was a turning point of the war. Lincoln immediately seized the opportunity to proclaim the emancipation of slaves in the rebellious states. It was truly a master-stroke, because the slaves in the Southern zone now began to support the President. And, moreover, it won the sympathy of foreign nations with the result that, since then, the rebels failed to win any outside assistance. Reconstruction Policy and the South 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 Northern and Southern Unity 5 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 Northern and Southern Unity 6 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 the 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 Northern and Southern Unity 7 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. Conclusion Thus the defeat of the South in the civil war is a landmark in the American history. It marked an era of new spirit of unity and solidarity which enriched the life of the Americans in different ways. Its resources were immensely developed and the country rapidly marched towards the goal of plenty and prosperity. Particularly, the defeat of the Southern-localism soon produced a sense of common citizenship and brotherhood which acted as the basis of subsequent affluence and tranquility. Northern and Southern Unity 8 In fact, the changed attitude of the North immensely helped to strengthen the Federation and, in such a favorable political climate, the Center adopted various measures in order to woo the people of the South. In this way, the process of unification smoothly proceeded after a temporary halt during the aforesaid conflict. However, Harold J. Laski one condemned the American system as an ‘obsolescent federalism’. According to him, it denied rapidity of action and rested upon compacts and compromises (Laski). But there is no wonder in it. It must be remembered that it is composed of a number of separate units which, for a long time, had remained isolated from each other under the British rule. Naturally, their economic system, political attitude, social structure and the way of life were divergent. The civil war clearly brought out such inherent differences. But in spite of a war between two parts of the Federation, the pragmatism of the North and the adaptability of the South eminently bridged the gulf and thus, an integrated and unified Federation of America came out of the civil war. Northern and Southern Unity 9 References Goyal, O. P. (1985). Comparative Government, McCurillan Press, India, p. 172 Laski, H. J. (May 1939). The Obsolescence of Federation, New Republic, Vol. 98, p. 367-69

Essay --

Statement of Purpose Do you remember your very first day of school? I fixed the memory of this day in my mind which makes significant contribution in my education life. I run from my school that day due to have very mixed feeling about starting the journey of my education life. My grandmother gave me advice that hacked to my mind forever. She said everyone has her/his own universe, someone prefers to lead a life at dark universe while others not only do try to light their universe but also they make an effort to light the universe of other people. Getting knowledge and studying hard lead to achieving enlightenment. At that time, I thought that I should come back to school and study hard in order to light my universe and avoid being blind. By passing years, I understand the secret of my grandmother sentences. During high school I was one of outstanding students with the first rank at mathematical major. I chose industrial engineering for my bachelor degree because I believe this major would have helped me to increase my knowledge about different core areas of engineering and even management. Passing certain courses like project control, system analysis and planning, and dynamic systems analysis inspired me to transfer my information to industrial scope in order to find how theory have been applied to industrial scope. I worked as a trainee at several automotive firms and interacted with experts who had invaluable experiences which would be never taught at university. I thought my universe got light with learning expert’s experiences and their correlation with my courses in university. At the third summer of my bachelor, working as a trainee at the one of big and well-know companies in our country; provide me with golden oppor... ...try to light their universe† I should seek the research on my interest scope and persuade PHD level at system engineering specifically supply chain and operation research in order to improve my skills as a researcher and be accustomed with special problems and their solutions that are related to developed countries which would never happen if I wanted to continue my education at my own country. Choosing Gorge Mason University to reach my purposes is the first step of this long learning journey. Talking with Dr. Huang assured me this university pays utmost attention to the potential of research of students which is my favorite hobby. I believe that by coordinating with the eminent faculty of the department of system engineering like Dr. Huang, I will be able to light my dark universe a little more. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely yours, Maryam

A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works

The Early Renaissance was founded in Florence, Italy in the 15th century. It probably flousrished in Florence because of its location, being that it is in the center of Italy. This period was called Renaissance because it means â€Å"rebirth† There was a revival of interest in the classical art, targeted especially towards the ideas of Ancient Greece and Rome.Artists during the period of they Early Renaissance tried to depict the human figure with elements like proportion, gestures and expressions, and realistic objects and clothing as well.They also used other techniques like modeling, which gives volume to rounder elements, and perspective. These artists also tried to establish new methods to portray three dimensionality, giving forms a more real and life like quality. They did so by observing humans and animals so that they could gain a better understanding of Artists of the Easty Renaissance tried to create consistent forms with the relevance to the world along with what p eople experienced on a daily basis. The content of paintings changed as they progressed into Early Renaissance.The subject of art was used based on Roman history and and from myths, as it slowly pointed and leaned more towards religion. Even though artists had the vast freedom of developing and exploring of using new materials and techniques to apply to their works, many times they were only encouraged to create works with relevance to the Bible with the flexibility to choose their own sucject matter. Some of the main characteristics of the art period of the Early Renaissance include: harmony, proportion, realistic gestures andexpressions, rational posture, light, and color.Although the Italian Renaissance first bloomed and blossomed in the city of Florence, it soon spread to the city and capital of Italy, Rome. Rome was always known for its high living and its fine arts. By the beginning of the 1500s, there seemed to be a rapid growth of artistic creations that totally changed the city.The period of art and in history known to be as the High Renaissance, saw the bang of creative geniuses and their masterful and talented use of techniques and ideas that were first used in Florence. Many Europeans were drawn to this city, where the church offered enormous opportunities that could help artists achieve and become well known by a larger public. Due to the fact that the church had so much control and say over the Italian population and because of their contribution to art, many of the themes in art embodied religious themes.At this particular time, painting especially reached its highest point of technicality with magnificent artistic imagination and incredible heroic composition.Renaissance encompassed many Classical elements that extracted the details and showed the world as it really was. Nonetheless, the artworks of the High Renaissance explored and seeked for a more broad and unified architectural outlook and pictorial represententation.There was an explosion of dramatic force in art forms that took in strong energy and created a more controlled equilibrium. Some of the main characteristics of artworks in the High Renaissance are: unity, balance, spatial harmony, light, colors, proportions, chiaroscuro (the use of lighting and shading effects), composition, and perspective.Artists of the Early Renaissance broke away from older styles and introduced new elements as well as techinques. However, it was those artists in the High Renaissance who not only mastered, but perfected these tchniques.The most obvious differences between the Early and the High Renaissaince is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro. Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using three dimensionality, but the new technique still did not look quite right. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation Over Dead Christ, there is a sense of three dimensionality, but at the same time if the viewer looks at it longer, it does not make sense.The figure s look almost flat. Not to mention, the halos on the figures' head has absolutely no sense of three dimensionality. Although he attempts to create the illusion, it does not quite add up together. In Michelagelo Buonarroti's The Creation of Man, it is evident to see that Adam is not a flat figure.   Michelangelo uses elements of chiaroscuro to create Adam as a full, voluptuous, and three dimensional figure.Michelangelo created many sculptures. Two singnificant sculptures, one created during the Early Renaissance and the other created during the High Renaissance, caught my attention. Even though both sculptures were created by the same artists, it is interesting to see that they are both very similar, yet at the very same time, they show significant changes and differences.David was created in the Early Renaissance. He is shown as an ideal human standing in a contraposto position, which are traces of Ancient Roman and Greek sculptures.David encompasses features of a perfect human be ing such as strength, shown by the details of his muscles. Nonetheless, it seems that Michelangelo's proportions are not quite right. His upper body, expecially his hands, seem larger. It is later on that Michelangelo shows us how he has evolved as an artists by creating Moses in the High Renaissance.I personally think that this is one of Michelagelo's most life like and realistic sculptures. Moses encompasses so much intricate details that bring the sculpture to life. Unlike David, Moses portrays enormous amount of strengh, energy, and movement.The sculpture itself tells its own story through details such as muscles bulging out, thich swelling veins, his strong legs, and his tangled up beard. Michelangelo also shows better representation of proportion in this later sculpture of Moses. A Visual Analysis of Four Art Works The Renaissance, meaning rebirth or revival, was a revolutionary period that made a great impact on arts and culture. The Italian Renaissance is divided into three major phases: Early, High, and Late Renaissance (Rzepinska, 1994).Though centered in Florence, Italy slightly before the turn of the 1500, its profound intellectual and economic changes influenced entire Europe for the next few hundred years (Rzepinska, 1994).   Tired of the restricted secular teachings of the Catholic Church, people began to turn towards humanistic philosophy (Hollingsworth, 2003).There was a renewed, heightened appreciation for great craftsmanship, literature and high culture.   Spiritual matters became a concern after Martin Luther questioned the Church in their selling of indulgences and usage of Latin in Scriptures that were only accessible to the rich and noble but not the poor (Hollingsworth, 2003). This ultimately led to the germination of Protestant Reformation that transformed the spiritual l andscapes forever as proven in many great works of art.The Early Renaissance was lead by sculptor Donatello, architect Filippo Brunelleschi, and painter Masaccio (Bailey, 2003). They began the movement on the foundations that development and progress was integral to the evolution and survival of the arts.They found their inspiration form antiquity, creating realistic figures that portrayed personality and behavior (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). Their work also greatly emphasized the laws of proportion for architecture, the human body, and space (Hollingsworth, 2003).The High Renaissance moved to a generalized style of art that focused on drama, physical presence, and balance. Major artists of this period included Leonardo Da Vinci, Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian (Woods, Franklin and Richardson 2007). The period lasted only from 1495 to 1520 as it was taken over by the Late Renaissance.This movement was put into motion by the sack of Rome in 1527, forcing artists to relocate to other artistic centers in Italy, France, and Spain and later paved way to a new wave of thought known as the Mannerist movement (Hollingsworth, 2003).For the purpose of this assignment, I will analyze Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ (1436-1441), Masaccio's The Tribute Money, Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini and His Bride, and Edouard Manet’s The Bar at the Folies Bergere.Lamentation over Dead Christ by Fra Angelico (1436-1441)The most obvious differences between Early and High Renaissance is the shape of figures and the use of chiaroscuro – an element in art defined as a bold contrast between light and dark (Bailey, 2003). Painters of the Early Renaissance strongly leaned towards using perspective: a system for creating an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface (Bailey, 2003).However, the technique seemed fraught with problems. For instance, in Fra Angelico's Lamentation over Dead Christ, there is the sense of denied aerial perspective, but if the viewer looks at it longer, the figures and their halos appear flat. The artist fails in his attempts to create a vivid and alive mythical illusion.The usage of halos are significant at it deconstructs the visual perspective of lines softening the image especially against the predominant angular crucifix. The arrangement of the halos also provide a soft and rhythmic motion of a wave that helps to distract the viewer from an emotionally hardened image of Christ dying.The artist utilizes a vivid color of the robes that personally, seems to as if represent the blood that is supposed to flow out of Christ. On the crucifix, there is minimal trace of blood in what would should have been a dramatic and tragic part of Christ’s life. Also notice the surrounding figures and their lack of emotional expression on their face and no trace of tears.Their robe seems to express more motions than anything else in the artwork. Lighting-wise, the ha los are to create a luminous setting for what is supposed to be a fabulous, surreal moment in Christianity. Note to customer: Need more detail here to balance out the other analyses you have done so this won’t come out uneven.

Childhood Obesity A Major Health Issue - 1731 Words

Abstract Childhood obesity is a major health issue nationwide and globally. This has been going on for many years and childhood obesity has increased tremendously. The main problem is the difference between calorie ingestion and calories consumed. Other influences (hereditary, developmental, and environmental) can also affect obese children. Physical, emotional, and public health issues causes pain and suffering for many children. The process of obesity growth is not completely understood and it is thought to be a disorder. Due to the high rate and affected development towards accumulating childhood obesity, the associated health and social concerns would be both significant and†¦show more content†¦Causes In the course of recent centuries, the rate of obesity in young children has dramatically increased and multiplied in teenagers. More than 300 million cases are reported every year (Center for Disease Control, n.d.). â€Å"The problem seems to come from a variety of food options available to children both at home and at schools. Access to cheap foods are not high quality and can contribute to a significant increase in childhood obesity† (C. Llinas, mentor interview, October 16, 2015). About $190 billion dollars was spent in 2005 to help treat obese children, with childhood health care prices quickly increasing that number (Economic Costs, n.d.). Childhood obesity is a rising epidemic in the United States. It affects more than 30 percent of kids, making it the most common prolonged illness. Their obesity is found in their Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI percentiles are commonly used to measure how much fat a child may have. Overall, children in the United States has a BMI percentile of 95 percent. They are at risk of getting diabetes, sleep apnea, and even cancer. The main causes to this epidemic are: deficiency of physical movement, environment, inheritance, household, socioeconomic rank, and diet. Only in uncommon cases, being overweight can b ecome a hormonal issue. Long-term effects â€Å"Childhood obesity is not a cosmetic issue or something the child will just grow out of. If they’re