Midterm Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Midterm Question - Essay Example There was competition in leadership between Austria and Prussia before the Napoleon’s domination in which Prussia won as it was better organized and progressive even though Austria had a larger territory to dominate. Otto von Bismarck is known to have led Prussia in Germany’s unification. He managed to bring reforms in Germany enabling to take Austria by them joining and also making the Prussia military be well trained to the coming wars. There was the France and Germany war known as Franco-Prussian war to which the Prussians side won. This showed how Otto von Bismarck had trained them well by giving them the equipment and led to the border emergence between Germany and France. Unification exposed Cultural, political religious ‘social and political in the new nation (Pohlsander 52). The westward shift from the French contributed to the German unification as the states joined to form one government. This would not have been achieved if France could succeed in the division of Baden and Bavaria states whose government ship were not strong .This could have led to stopped the forces of these states unification. The unification of the states led to political borders as they had won the war from France and proved to have a strong military force. Through this they saw the need of nationalism as majority of the population in the Reichsland period spoke German dialects to which German justified its annexation on nationalistic grounds. The Germany’s military strategy was to control Alsace region to the mountain range, the Thionville and Metz in order for the protection of Germany. The military had also planned to control the Thionville and Metz during the war. By developing the strategies it guided them through the Franco-Prussia war in 1871.This also contributed to the defeat over France. According to Pohlsander (27), the military had interest in some states like the Alsace-Lorrain which had iron-ore and

The Catholic Church Essay Example for Free

The Catholic Church Essay The Iroquois Confederacy, an association of six linguistically related tribes in the northeastern woodlands, was a sophisticated society of some 5,500 people when the first white explorers encountered it at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The 1990 Census counted 49,038 Iroquois living in the United States, making them the countrys eighth most populous Native American group. Although Iroquoian tribes own seven reservations in New York state and one in Wisconsin, the majority of the people live off the reservations. An additional 5,000 Iroquois reside in Canada, where there are two Iroquoian reservations. The people are not averse to adopting new technology when it is beneficial, but they want to maintain their own traditional identity. INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS Although disputed by some, there is significant evidence that the Iroquois Confederacy served as a model or inspiration for the U. S. Constitution. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine were well acquainted with the League. John Rutledge, chairman of the committee that wrote the first draft of the Constitution, began the process by quoting some passages from the Haudenosaunee Great Law. The Iroquois form of government was based on democracy and personal freedom, and included elements equivalent to the modern political tools of initiative, referendum, and recall. In 1987 Senator Daniel Inouye sponsored a resolution that would commemorate the Iroquois contributions to the formation of the federal government. Many Iroquois people have made notable contributions to society and culture that transcend political boundaries. A dramatic example is Oren Lyons (1930– ), an Onondaga chief who has led political delegations to numerous countries in support of the rights of indigenous people. Twice named an All-American lacrosse goal-keeper, he led his 1957 team at Syracuse University to an undefeated season and was eventually enrolled in the sports Hall of Fame. He was a successful amateur boxer in both the U. S. Army and in the Golden Gloves competition. He worked as a commercial artist for several years before returning to the reservation to assume his position as faithkeeper. An author and illustrator, he has served as Chairman of American Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo and as publisher of Daybreak, a national quarterly newspaper of Native American views. In 1992 he became the first indigenous leader to have addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Arden, Harvey. The Fire That Never Dies, National Geographic, September 1987. Axtell, James. The European and the Indian: Essays in the Ethnohistory of Colonial North America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. A Basic Call to Consciousness. Rooseveltown, NY: Akwesasne Notes, 1978. Bruchac, Joseph. New Voices from the Longhouse: An Anthology of Contemporary Iroquois Writing. Greenfield Center, NY: Greenfield Review Press, 1989. Fenton, Willam N. The Great Law and the Long-house: A Political History of the Iroquois Confederacy. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. Graymont, Barbara. The Iroquois. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. Indian Roots of American Democracy, Northeast Indian Quarterly, edited by Jose Barreiro. Winter/Spring, 1987/1988. An Iroquois Source Book, Volumes 1 and 2, edited by Elisabeth Tooker. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. , 1985. Iroquois Women: An Anthology, edited by W. G. Spittal. Ohsweken, Ontario: Iroqrafts Ltd, 1990. Johnson, Elias. Legends, Traditions and Laws of the Iroquois, or Six Nations, and History of the Tuscarora Indians. New York: AMS Press, 1978 (reprint of 1881 edition). Josephy, Alvin M. , Jr. Now That the Buffalos Gone: A Study of Todays American Indians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982. Snow, Dean R. The Iroquois. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1996. Tooker, Elisabeth. Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994. http://www. ipoaa. com/iroquois_constitution_united_states. htm The Effect of the Iroquois Constitution on the United States Constitution originally titled The United States Constitution: Is it a Native American Myth? by Janet L. Daly Fitchburg State College (1997) The United States Constitution was influenced by the concepts and the principles contained in the Iroquois Indian Confederacy form of governance which was founded in Native American mythology. Several different areas must be discussed in order to substantiate this premise that the Native Americans that arrived on the North American continent around 12,000 years ago did indeed influence the very basis of the United States governmental system which is written in the form of the United States Constitution. One of the first concepts which must be explored is the tradition of the Iroquois League, since the basis of the thesis is that the League tradition preceded and influenced the thinking of the Founding Fathers. The next topics must include a discussion of opinions and supporting details that the Iroquoian Confederacy method of governance did influence the development of the U. S. Constitution and specifically how key contributors to the writing of the Constitution, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, were brought into the Native American sphere of thinking. Finally, a comparison of the League Tradition and several areas of the U. S. Constitution will show clearly that the Native American Myth lives on even though the Native American population has been drastically diminished by the very Country which it helped to found. The Iroquois League tradition was first written down in an Iroquois language format in 1912 by anthropologist Alexander A. Goldenweiser. 1 This handwritten transcript as dictated by Chief John Arthur Gibson has been recently (1992) newly elicited, edited and translated by Hanni Woodbury in collaboration with Reg Henry and Harry Webster with the resultant fluently reading legend of the foundation of the League of the Iroquois. Chief John Gibson, born in 1849 was unquestionably the greatest mind of his generation among the Six Nations [who] became the greatest living source on Iroquois culture at the turn of the century. 2 Chief Gibson was appointed a member of a committee of chiefs that undertook the task of codifying the League Tradition because of the high regard by his own people for his knowledge of the League traditions and the various rituals connected with them. 3 What follows is a condensed version of the League Tradition as put forth in the work translated by Hanni Woodbury which will provide a general overview of the mythology which lead to the Tradition and the components of the Tradition which allowed a working unification system for the Iroquois Confederacy. This Confederacy contained the original Five Nations of the Confederacy which included the Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida and Cayuga and in 1715 increased to Six Nations with the inclusion of the Tuscaroras. Feuding and warfare were endemic in the land of the Mohawks which was located on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. A mother Kahetoktha (End of the Field) takes her daughter Kahetehsuk (She Walks Ahead) to live in a remote area of bush in order to protect her child. After living there a considerable amount of time the daughter becomes pregnant and the Mother accuses her daughter of wrongdoing. The Mother then has a dream from the messenger of the Great Spirit which reveals her daughter and not been with a man and will have a divine birth and the boy child to be born will be called Tekanawita and his life will be devoted to promoting peace among men. After the dream message is received the Mother and daughter reconcile and the son is born as prophesied. The boy grows quickly and when he is a young man Tekanawita returns to his mothers and grandmothers former settlement to announce to their people the Good Message (kaihwiyoh), the Power (katshatstehsae) and the Peace (shenu) which are the three concepts that together spell out the call to unify the separate nations of the Iriquois. 4 Tekanawita visits the then separate nations and convinces them through demonstrating some miraculous feats. One such trial proposed by the Mohawk Nation was forTekanawita to sit atop a tree next to the river. The tree would then be cut down and Tekanawita would be thrown into the cold raging waters. If he emerged the next day alive this would be proof that he was the true messenger of the Great Spirit and the Good Message, the Power and the Peace would be accepted. When he successfully emerges the next day from the waters the Mohawk tribe is convinced. The five nations are receptive to the message and Tekanawita proceeds to frame the central concepts of the Great Law and organizes the Confederacy Council on the basis of principles which underlie Iroquois social structure. He divides the five nations into moieties related to one another as fathers (Mohawk, Onondaga and Seneca) and sons (Oneida and Cayuga). 5 The decision making process which was to be followed involved the Mohawk Nation considering the issue and after a consensus is reached within the Nation, V the question was to be passed to their moiety brother, the Seneca who reach a consensus. There is to be an attempt to consolidate their decision with that of the Mohawk. If two groups agree they are to appoint a speaker for the moiety who movesacross the fireto bring the opinion and the question to the Oneida. The Oneida are to pass the question on to the Cayuga and if the two groups reach consensus the issue is to be passed back across the fire to the Mohawk who present the outcome to the firekeepers, the Onondagas. The Onondagas then consider the issue and if they agree with the consensus reached by the other four nations, they ratify the opinion. 6 However, if there are divergent opinions from the Mohawk and Seneca, both opinions are to be handed across the fire to the Oneida and Cayuga to be considered equally. If the Oneida and Cayuga are split in opinion then both opinions must be handed on to the firekeepers. The Firekeepers can break the tie by choosing one opinion over the other. If the Oneida and Cayuga agree wit just one of the opinions handed to them by the Mohawk and Seneca, they return this opinion to the latter, and the speaker for the Mohawk and Seneca will present the opinions to the firekeepers, with an explanation of the outcome. The Onondaga consider the issue together with the results arrived at among the other nations, and the final decision will be announced. 7 After establishing the vital decision making process to be followed Tekanawita establishes the symbolism of the central hearth, that is the Confederacy fire, whose smoke will rise, the beautiful smoke, piercing the sky. 8 At the central fire he planted a tree a great white pine that put forth white roots East, West, North and South. Each nation would contribute one arrow to form a single strong bundle bound together with the sinew of a deer and as joined were to represent the Confederacy solidarity. Tekanawita addressed the Nations with the message that all Nations exercise equal authority in the Confederacy and that as individuals the Chiefs the tall trunks of the Confederacy are all equal in status. He then warned that if the arrows of the Nations are withdrawn from the bundle that represent the power of their solidarity, the bundle of arrows will weaken. 9 After describing the basic workings of the Confederacy, Tekanawita called a lengthy recess, and members of the council returned to their settlements to inform the people of the Confederacy of the formation and to determine the existing organization of lineages and clans in their respective nations, and to select in terms of their lineage affiliations more candidates for the positions on the council. Fifty titles are eventually assigned by clan and were assigned as follows- Mohawk 9, Seneca 8, Oneida 9, Cayuga -10, and Onondaga 14. The women of the clan or clan mothers were designated to be the holders of the clan titles and had control in large measure in the choice of successors. 10 The chiefs appointed were expected to maintain certain standards or there was to be a recall process that would be followed. At times of stress in the Confederacy, the hereditary Chiefs were to be allowed to appoint a Pine Tree Chief who would have special skills or qualities that could be of help to the hereditary chiefs in their difficult tasks. Pine Tree Chiefs were to be appointed for life and their titles were not to be passed on after their death. 11 The final major process that Tekanawita was to call for was the orderly replacement of the Chiefs upon their dismissal or more likely their death. This process was to allow an orderly transition of power within the Confederacy. This process consisted of the Clan Matron selecting a candidate and the women of the clan approving the selection followed by the chiefs who represent the tribal moiety, then the Chiefs of the Nation, then the Chiefs from her side of the Confederacy fire. At the Condolence Council the candidate was to be stood up for approval by the chiefs of the opposite moiety. The candidate is to be raised up by being crowned with the antlers of office representing his status as a Chief. 12 This was then the basic outline of the principles and philosophy of the Confederacy of the Iroquois. They agreed to stop fighting amongst themselves and to accept the Good Message that called upon them to find a peaceful way to resolve issues among the tribes. They were directed by the messenger of the Great Spirit to uphold certain standards of leadership and to fill vacancies in a peaceful manner. They were to stand together so that they may be stronger than one individual tribe. There is a plethora of opinion which concurs with the thesis that the Iroquois Confederacy had a strong influence on the final document which was to be the law of the land for the United States from its inception to present day. Some of these sources not only attribute the Iroquois Confederacy with significantly affecting the form of the Government of the United States but also with instilling the American independence mentality which would give rise to the impetus to make the initial break from the British. As the Indians were standing along the shore watching the Puritans arrive, the Indians carried with them a tradition of meeting and democracy, of free speech, of free thinking, of tolerance for each others differences of religion, of all those things which got attached to the Bill of Rights. 13 White leaders watched the method of government that the Iroquois utilized and they learned union and democracy from it. Historians are now beginning to admit what they must have been aware of, that the government of the United States is not patterned after something across the ocean where there was a belief in the divine right of kings and where the people had no voice, but it is patterned after the government of the People of the Long House, where all people, including both men and women were respected and took a part in their government. 14 The interaction between the colonial Americans and the Iroquois Confederacy began immediately upon the arrival of the Europeans. The importance of conciliating the powerful Confederacy was fully appreciated by the colonial authorities and great pains were taken to secure and retain the favor of the confederacy. Each successive governor announced his arrival to the Sachems of the League, and invited them to meet him in council, at an early day, to renew the covenant chain or agreement to work together peacefully. 15 Beginning in the early 1740s, Iroquois leaders strongly urged the colonists to form a federation similar to their own with the immediate benefit to their interests of having a unified management of Indian trade with resultant minimization of fraud, and a unity of the two peoples in the face of the cold war which was occurring between the English and the French. 16 This urging became a more forceful admonition when the Iroquois Chief Canssatego spoke to Pennsylvania officials gathered at Lancaster in 1744 with the following words: Our wise forefathers established Union and Amity between the Five Nations. This has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighboring Nations. We are a powerful Confederacy; and by your observing the same methods, our wise forefathers have taken, you will acquire such Strength and power. Therefore whatever befalls you, never fall our with one another. 17 A crucial step forward towards colonial American unification necessary for the eventual independence movement took place in Albany, New York in 1754. The Albany Plan was a landmark on the rough road that was to lead through the first Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation and then to the Constitution of 1787. 18 On the eve of the Albany Congress, Franklin had a great deal of exposure to the imagery and political ideas of the Iroquois from first hand experience and from his study of Cadwallader Coldens History of the Five Nations. 19 Franklin met with both Colonial and Iroquois delegates to create a plan of unity that was in part derived from some of the tenets of the Great Law of the Iroquois. 20 During the discussions at Albany Franklin addressed the assemblage in words that freely acknowledged the Iroquois Confederacy as a model to build upon: It would be a strange thing if Six Nations of ignorant savages should be capable of forming such a union and be able to execute it in such a manner that it has subsisted ages and appears indissoluble, and yet that a like union should be impractical for ten or a dozen English colonies, to whom it is more necessary and must be more advantageous, and who cannot be supposed to want an equal understanding of their interest. 21 When Franklin proposed his plan of union before the Congress it had a Grand Council, a Speaker, and called for a general government under which each colony may retain its present constitution all nomenclature and concept derived from the Confederacy. 22 Franklins writings indicate that as he became more deeply involved with the Iroquois and other Indian peoples, he picked up ideas from them concerning not only federalism, but concepts of natural rights, the nature of society and mans place in it, the role of property in society, and other intellectual constructs that would eventually be called into service by Franklin as he and the other American revolutionaries shaped an 23 official ideology for the soon to be founded United States of America. 23 As the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain became more and more strained rebellion became a more realistic and viable alternative. In the eyes of the rebellious American Colonists, the Iroquois symbolized autonomy and a new American identity. 24 The intervening years between the Albany Plan of Union, the Articles of Confederation and the final Declaration of Independence included events such as the protest of the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party, formation of the Sons of Liberty. Each of these events drew upon the symbolism and philosophy of the Iroquois. The Sons of Liberty during the Stamp Act Crisis sent wampum belts to the Iroquois asking them to intercept the British moving down the Hudson. 25 The Boston Tea Party was carried out by Colonists dressed as Indians and the formation of the Sons of Liberty involved putting up a pine post called the Tree of Liberty, a direct transference of symbolism from the Iroquois symbol of Liberty. 26 On June 11, 1776, while the question of independence was being debated, twenty-one visiting Iroquois chiefs were actually lodged on the second floor of the Pennsylvania State House and were formally invited into the meeting hall of the Continental Congress. 27 During speeches delivered to the delegation of Native Americans they were addressed as Brothers and told of the delegates wish that the friendship between them would continue as long as the sun shall. shine and the water run. 28 The speech expressed hope that new Americans and Iroquois would act as one people, and have but one heart. 29 In a speech on July 26, 1776, James Wilson, delegate from Pennsylvania and future author of the first draft of the U. S. Constitution, argued forcefully for a confederation similar to the Iroquois League and asserted that Indians know the striking benefits of confederation and we have an example of it in the Union of the Six Nations. 30 In essence, Wilson, a friend of Franklin, believed that a strong confederacy like the Iroquois Confederacy was crucial to the development of a new nation and to maintaining a friendly relationship with the Indian populations. 31 Thomas Jefferson has also documented his appraisal of the attributes of the Native American concepts of morality and governance. In his writings Jefferson states: Their only controls are their manners, and that moral sense of right and wrong, which, like the sense of tasting and feeling in every man, makes a part of his nature. An offense against these is punished by contempt, by exclusion from society, or, where the case is serious, as that of murder, by the individuals whom it concerns. Imperfect as this species of coercion may seem, crimes are very rare among them; insomuch that were it made a question, whether no law, as among the savage American, or too much law, as among the civilized Europeans, submits man to the greatest evil, one who has seen both conditions of existence would pronounce it to be the last; and that the sheep are happier of themselves, than under care of the wolves. It will be said, the great societies cannot exist without government. The savages, therefore, break them into small ones. 32 Several areas of the Iroquois Constitution of the Five Nations which clearly have a parallel in the U. S. Constitution would be paragraph 84 dealing with the right of self-determination, paragraph 96, stipulating government by the people, by the consent of the governed, Paragraph 98 stating definite provision for such consent of the governed and controls by those governed and as a last example; Paragraph 99 guaranteeing freedom of religion. 33 Paragraph 33 stipulates the process by which a Chief shall be replaced upon dismissal or death. This systematic transmission of official rank was, in fact, the vital principle of the Iroquois Government. 34 The decision-making process of the League resembles that of a two-house congress in one body, with the older brothers and younger brother each comprising a side of the house. 35 The Onondagas filled something of an executive role, with a veto that could be overridden by the older and younger brothers in concert. 36 By implication in five places within the U. S. Constitution the impact of the Iroquois Confederacys continual urgings that the colonists should coordinate Indian negotiations and policies through a central authority were codified. 37 This codification is included in Article 11, Section 10, which prohibits the States from entering into treaties; Article 11, Section 2, which also prohibits States from entering into treaties; Article 11, Section 2, Clause 2, which defines the treaty process- Article VI, Section 2, which defines a treaty as the supreme law of the land; and finally, Article 111, Section 2, which grants the federal courts over U. S. citizenry who violate treaties. 38 These provisos were to find an impact on the Native American populations to present day and beyond. Even in light of the preceding discussion of the documented influence by the Iroquois Confederacy on the Founding Fathers and the resultant inclusion of many of the basic concepts and premises of the Iroquois Law within the U. S. Constitution, there is still an apparent oversight of the this impact in a scholarly work as recently as 1994. David N. Mayor in his discussion of the influences on the thinking of Thomas Jefferson in relation to his intellectual contribution to the U. S. Constitution mentions only Locke, Scottish moral sense of philosophy, deistic natural religion and the economic theories developed by British and French antimercantilists. 39 Not one mention or word of credit is given to the Native Americans who have so clearly been a major contributor in the formation of the American persona. Donald A. Grinde comments that ignoring the processes whereby Euroamericans created a new culture out of the American experience impoverishes everyone and gives an appearance that scholars are seeking to stop the process of de-Europeanizing America. 40 He specifically discusses Temple University anthropologist Dr. Elisabeth Tooker who contends that American Indian government figures not at all in the standard histories of the Constitution, nor in the documents on which they rest. 41 As a refutation of this premise Grinde goes on to quote many of the specifics of the writings generated by the founders some of which have been stated herein along with scholarly input with justification for their own viewpoint. It is truly a revelation as a student of history to study the impact that Native America had in the development of the United States of America. The fact that the Native Americans preceded the settlement of the Europeans and were a part of the innate character of the New World must logically affect the development of the new settlers. It is the ultimate irony that by the initial assistance given to the entering immigrants by the Native American population that they were in fact aiding in the ultimate decimation of their people, and the diminishment of their land and their mythological based form of government. Lesson 2 The Invasion of America Reading Assignment: Calloway, 67-136. Introduction: The Columbian encounter is arguably the most pivotal event in the history of the world. Neither Europe nor the Americas would be the same after this watershed event. This lesson highlights the merging of two previously distinct ecosystems and the devastating effect it would have on native peoples. Then it traces emergence of three European powers as they became dominant colonizers in North America. The lesson emphasizes that regardless of the variety of experiences Indians had in their relations with Europeans, they all shared irreversible changes in their cultures. This lesson will also introduce you to some of the primary sources related to the Spanish, French, and English invasions of North America and their consequences. Essay topics for Lesson 2 Write on one of the following topics or combine any of the topics into one. 1. What are the arguments for viewing Columbus as a hero? Villain? Where do you come down on this contentious issue? 2. What were the main differences in the motives of the Spanish, French, and English when they colonized the Americas? Was the European conquest of the Americas inevitable? Why or why not? 3. What role did Indian relationships play in the outcome of the various European invasions? Explain the â€Å"Columbian Exchange† and how it affected both Europe and the Americas. 4. How does Apess deal with the fact that the Pequot supported the English in King Phillip’s War? Does Apess’s writing tell us more about Pequots in the nineteenth century or seventeenth century Massachusetts? Early European Exploration and Colonization. Leah S. Glaser VUS. 2 Describe how early European exploration and colonization resulted in cultural interactions among Europeans, Africans, and American Indians. For many years, students of American history have learned about the era of European exploration and colonization in terms of conquest and defeat. Europes entry into the Americas had economic and political motivations, but over the last several years historians have begun to emphasize that exploration and colonization also allowed cultural contacts and exchanges among three different continents: Europe, Africa, and America. Each society viewed the other through their respective perceptions and culture. Historians like Colin Calloway and Gary Nash explain that these relationships created new worlds for all. The nature of cultural contact and change in America varied from region to region, and can be traced to Europes different colonizing strategies and the response of the existing local population. America, Africa, and Europe: Three Worlds on the Eve of 1492 Contrary to longstanding European assumptions, native societies in the Americas possessed their own rich and varied cultures. An estimated 3 to 5 million people, speaking hundreds of languages, inhabited the region; with about 60 million people living in the Western Hemisphere, the population rivaled that of Europe and Africa. While they did not yet possess the same farming techniques or methods of transportation as those of Europe and Africa, these societies were diverse and sophisticated, and adapted continually to changing environments. Irrigation communities in the Southwest, mound cities in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, and the villages of the eastern woodlands characterized the nature of these societies at the time of European contact. Climatic changes, over hundreds of years, had altered farming patterns and prompted different groups to compete for dominance through warfare, as well as to participate in a vast trade network that spread across the continent. The African societies (like those of the American Indians and the Europeans) were highly dependent on the environmental conditions and varied widely across the continent. Africa very much resembled America in its diversity of cultures across deserts, grasslands, and forests, its established networks of trade, and resource competition. The early use of iron implements raised productivity and subsequently increased the continents population, which reached about 50 million by the fifteenth century. Much of that population was organized politically under large empires, like the Kingdom of Ghana. Ghana achieved architectural and artistic wealth principally through important trading contacts with the Middle and Far East. Other kingdoms also developed skilled craftsmanship, codes of law, and trading networks. Alongside these trade relationships, Muslim influences, which had spread throughout Africa since the eleventh century, also shaped African community life. African societies differed most markedly from those in Europe in terms of familial organization (matrilineal rather than patrilineal). For example, property rights and inheritance descended through the mother. Europeans did not engage with Africa until the early fifteenth century, though they had been fascinated with the East for hundreds of years prior to contact. They were particularly eager to control the Mediterranean trade routes that tapped into the vast markets and goods. Throughout the Middle Ages, the East also served as a battleground for two of the worlds fastest growing religions, Islam and Christianity, as evidenced in the Crusades. The Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire ruled supreme over Europe in opposition to the growing Ottoman (Islamic) Empire. By the fifteenth century, the invention of the printing press and improvements in navigation techniques (like the compass and the hourglass) helped spawn the Renaissance, an era known for challenging the power of the Church and celebrating human possibility though exploration, ideas, art, and literature. Spain joined in this creative celebration, but also gained political power by successfully defeating Islamic forces in Granada and by consolidating two powerful Catholic monarchies through the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille. In 1492, the two Catholic leaders launched the Inquisition to make Spain, once part of the Ottoman Empire, into a fully Catholic country. Their efforts spawned the Reconquista, an era fueled by violence and religious intolerance as Spain sought to expel all Jews and Muslims from its borders. Amidst this political climate and activity, Ferdinand and Isabella granted a Genoan explorer, Christopher Columbus, funding to expand Spains empire. 1492: Americas Indians Encounter the Spanish After he landed on the islands we know today as the Bahamas, Columbus explored the island of Hispaniola where he met the lands native inhabitants. He and his crews returned to the Caribbean three more times. Columbuss so called discovery offered Spain tremendous opportunities for wealth, particularly from the mining of gold and silver. It also provided new soil for European plants like sugar, cof

Analysis Of Pepsico Vision Statement Business Essay

Analysis Of Pepsico Vision Statement Business Essay PepsiCo is a company which is most successful well-known brands in the world. Pepsi Company is nationally and globally to operating in non-alcoholic beverage industry, soft drink industry, and savoury snack industry. Besides that, PepsiCo offers the worlds largest portfolio of food and beverage brands included 22 different product lines. And the biggest competition from competitor is Coca-Cola in soft drink industry. Analysis of PepsiCo Vision Statement According to vision statement of PepsiCo, I had used seven components to analysis the vision such as directional, graphic, focus, flexible, feasible, desirable, and easy to understand. First of all, the directional component of PepsiCo is target to become a truly sustainable company by using focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value. From the case, PepsiCo has extensive statements on sustainability, the environment, health and wellness, and diversity. Pepsi Company is nationally and globally to operating in non-alcoholic beverage industry, soft drink industry, and savoury snack industry. PepsiCo is able to expansion market to serve new market segment by provides health and safety product to make consumer more confidence to purchase and become a sustainable company. Besides that, the graphic component of PepsiCo is not appearing in the current vision statement. From the current vision, it has no mention about company management is create and the market position the company is striving to stake out. Moreover, the focus component of PepsiCo is focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value. According to the PepsiCo case which said that PepsiCo are focusing in projects to increase to use of recycled materials and reduce material used in packaging. It will help PepsiCo build a good brand image, environment friendly and good reputation. When brand image is created, it will increase brand awareness of Pepsi and easy to launch new product to serve new market segment and achieve the commitment of shareholder value. However, once the commitment with shareholder is broken it will bring negative effect to the company such as poor reputation and decrease number of invertors. In addition, the flexible component of PepsiCo is creating a better tomorrow than today. From the statement, PepsiCo is wanted to improve all aspects of the world to create a better future. So, it may help increase more potential profitability due to better than previous year. And, it also assists PepsiCo a step forward to be truly sustainable company. Yet, it also some aspect is uncontrollable such as new competitor and economic downturn. Furthermore, the feasible component is about the reasonable expect to achieve in due time. From the case, PepsiCo is expecting continually to improve all the aspects of the world. PepsiCo is able to achieve this vision due to strong financial and also wide range of distribution network. It also has opportunities capture more market share around the world. However, it needs resources and times to achieve the goal. Additionally, the desirable component is about long term interest of stakeholders. In the vision of PepsiCo, it is commitment to build shareholder value. PepsiCo has long history of delivery strong financial growth for shareholders with the powerful brand and commitment to sustainability and top global talent. Conversely, it also face problem when shareholders may disagree with PepsiCo decision making and may occur conflict belong PepsiCo and shareholder. Lastly, the easy to understand component is about ease to communicate and understand of the vision statement. From the PepsiCos vision statement, it is using a clear language and simple to make customer easy to understand their vision. Analysis of Vision Statements- Shortcomings For the shortcoming of vision statement, I had used five components to analysis the shortcoming such as vague and incomplete, not forward looking, bland, too broad or not distinctive, and rely on superlatives. First of all, the vague and incomplete component is about short on specific or does not provide much indication and how the PepsiCo intend to alter the current product, market, customer, and technology focus. PepsiCo is only mention about improve all aspects of the world in which they operate for their economic, social and environment. But it is missing out to mention about Pepsi product portfolio and how they treat their employees in vision statement. Besides that, the not forward looking is about the company is not concern about the future. From the vision of PepsiCo, it has concern about the future by the sentences creating a better tomorrow than today by using improving the aspects of the world in which they are operated. Furthermore, the bland component is about the company lacking in motivational power. From the vision statement of PepsiCo, it has commitment to achieve shareholder value, so from the commitment will motivate the shareholders to support the company. Next, the component is too broad and not distinctive is about the vision could apply to most any company. The vision statement of PepsiCo is too common and corporate social responsibility can apply to most any company. Lastly, the component rely on superlatives is about the vision too reliant on such superlatives as best, most successful and market leader. From the PepsiCo vision is does not mention is most successful and first choice of customers. Recommendation From the analysis of shortcomings in the vision statement of PepsiCo, I would like to give few recommendations to improve the current vision statement of PepsiCo. First of all, I would like to recommend about the incomplete vision statement of PepsiCo. The vision of PepsiCo should include their company product, market, customer, technology focus, and their employees. So, employee and customer can easy to understand what kind of business PepsiCo is running and what purpose of PepsiCo is targeted. The second shortcomings vision statement is not distinctive. From my opinion, the company vision should be different with other companys vision. PepsiCos vision statement is too broad and it is easy same vision with others company. Therefore, PepsiCo should be more specific its vision statement and make the vision statement more memorable for people. From my opinion, the current vision statement of PepsiCo is good but I would like to overcome the shortcomings appear in PepsiCo vision statement. So, new vision statement will be as below: PepsiCos is underscoring  commitment a truthful desire for product quality and safety from materials, beverage mixing to bottling, and receive excellent services from our employee. Plus, responsibility is to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate and creating a better tomorrow than today. Our mission is maximum our shareholders wealth and focus on environmental stewardship and activities to benefit society by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company. Evaluation of mission statement A mission statement is the current business activities or proposes what we are and what we do. From the mission statement of PepsiCo, I would like to use evaluation matrix to analysis and provides a new description to the PepsiCo. The components use to analysis include customers, products/services, markets, concern for survival, growth and profitability, technology, philosophy, self-concept, concern for public image and concern for employees. The customer component is about the target customer of the company. From the current description of PepsiCo is does not mention about the customer. So, I suggest a new description that PepsiCo should concern, maintain loyalty and listen to customer in the mission statement. Product and services component is about the firms major product and services provides to customer. From the mission statement, PepsiCo is offer convenient foods and beverages to the customer. For example product of PepsiCo offer is Quaker Oats, CapN Crunch cereal, Aunt Jemima syrup, and Tropicana juice. Although there is description in the current mission statement, but I would like to give my recommendation to make PepsiCo mission statement become better by develop a new product line. For example, PepsiCo can develop a new product line Pepsi Green mix with herb and position PepsiCo is an environment friendly company. Market component is about geographically and the places the firm compete. From the current description of PepsiCo is wanted to be the worlds premier consumer Products Company and serve in globally. For the new description, I would suggest PepsiCo increase more vending machine at bus station, train station, or cinema to make customer able to purchase at anywhere and anytime. Concern for survival, growth, and profitability component is about is the firm financial soundness and committed to growth. From the current description of PepsiCo is produce financial rewards to investors as we provide opportunities for growth. For new description, PepsiCo is need for knowledge, producing and distributing valuable information in a way that benefits the customer and employee to serve the global market. Technology component is about the firm technologically current. From the current description of PepsiCo is does not mention about the technology. Therefore, for the new description PepsiCo should spend money to do more research and development and using machines to reduce the production cost and time. Philosophy component is about the beliefs, basic, aspirations, values, and ethical priorities of the firm. From the current description of PepsiCo is striving for honesty, fairness and integrity. For the new description, PepsiCo can share and caring where the people give their time, knowledge, and experience. Besides that, it also empowered people which mean that having a freedom to think in ways and get the job done, while following to processes that ensure management and being mindful of company needs. Self-concept component is about the firms major competitive advantages or distinctive competence. From the current description of PepsiCo is does not mention about the self-concept. However, I would like to recommend PepsiCo to create a competitive advantage strategic. For example, Pepsi can use marketing mix such as product, price, packaging, and distribution to differentiate itself with other company product. And also can excellent customer services to the customer such as delivery product on time. Concern for public image component is about the firm responsive to social, community, and environmental concerns. From the current description of PepsiCo is not appearing in the mission statement. Therefore, the new description for PepsiCo should contribute to the economic strength of society and responsibility of CSR. For example, PepsiCo is fully committed to protecting the earths natural resources through innovation and the efficient use of land, water, energy and packaging in the operations. Concern for employee component is about the employee is valuable asset of the firm. From the current description of PepsiCo is enrichment to the employees, but I would like to enhance it to become better by provides reward and training to the employee. Once the reward system is set up, the employee is put more effect to doing their job and send employee to training it provides an opportunities for growth of business. Following new description, I would like to modifications to the current mission statement to be a new mission statement as below: Our mission is to be the worlds leading consumer Products Company and selling beverages and foods in anytime and anywhere. We serve with high innovation technology to produce new food according customer needs and sending staffs to training for provides high quality of services to sustain customer loyalty. Also, we are responsibilities in CSR, empowered people, and opportunities for growth to maximize shareholder wealth. Conclusion As a business analyst of PepsiCo, I had analysed the vision statement and mission statement of PepsiCo by different component and evaluate matrix. Hence, I had recommended modifications and enhancement to the current vision statement and mission statement. With the new vision statement and new mission statement that has been enchanted will easier to understand and memorable by people. Lastly, by develop a new vision and mission statement, PepsiCo can create a better future and one more step forward be a truly sustainable company.

Romanticism as a Reaction to Neoclassicism :: Romanticism Essays

The time of Romanticism began in the late 18th century and ended around the mid 19th century. Just showing what the Romantic Movement is, it can be shown as a reaction against Neoclassicism. Romantic art portrays emotional, painted, or shown in a bold and dramatic manner, and there is often a stress on the past. Romantic artists often use sad themes and dramatic tragedies. Paintings by famous Romantic artists such as Gericault and Delacroix are filled with energetic brushstrokes, rich colors, and emotive subject matters. While the German landscape painter Casper David Friedrich created images of lost loneliness, and at the same time in Spain, Francisco Goya conveyed the horrors of war in his works. This shows the variety of different art works of this time period. Some of these artists were fascinated in nature, people can definitely see this if they are shown through any Romanticism museum, also the importance of drama and emotion. At this time artists made their art work portray more then what the eye sees, the artists added more symbolism to the art work then in the Renaissance. The Pre-Raphaelite movement succeeded Romanticism, and Impressionism is firmly rooted in the Romantic tradition. Other famous Romantic artists include George Stubbs, William Blake, John Margin, John Constable, JMW Turner, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. And Although Romanticism was very popular for the paintings, it was also popular for its music, and poetry, and even architecture. This shows that this period advanced not only in variety of artwork but also a variety of all sorts of effects. The German poets and critics, August Wilhelm and Friedrich Schlegel first used the term ?Romanticism? to label a wider cultural movement, the period expanded way more then they ever dreamed. This gave the Schlegel brothers a good time to show Christianity through art, even though the majority of people where using the plain Classical culture. This started the ?Romantic Movement. The ?Romantic Movement,? gained popularity in Germany and then quickly spread to England, France, and beyond. Eventually the movement reached America, this was around the year 1820, (some 20 years after William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge had revolutionized English poetry by publishing Lyrical Ballads). In America and in Europe, fresh new ideas and visions struck the artistic and intellectual circles in America.

Human Trafficking, The Modern Slavery Essay

Introduction Human trafficking is a big problem all around the world. Every year, thousands of men, women and children are kidnapped by traffickers, and forced into sexual exploitation and slavery. In this essay, I will talk about the causes of human trafficking and what effects it has on the victims, families, and society. Causes The cause of human trafficking is mainly the organized criminals that kidnap and abuse the victims. Their main purpose is to get rich by exploiting people. These people usually are cold-hearted and they do not have any morals or sense of social justice. Another reason that causes human trafficking is that governments in those countries are very weak, and they usually do not do anything to help or at least try to help. Therefore, the criminals have more chances of kidnapping people without worrying about getting caught easily. The final cause of human trafficking is that society has a lack of awareness of its dangers. Not many people really care about human trafficking as they do not know the dangers of it. There may be a lack of attention given to the problem in education and the media. Human trafficking happens all around the world, even in rich countries. The countries that I will be writing about are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Vietnam and the U.S.A. The Congo. Human trafficking is a very serious problem in the Congo. The human trafficking in the Congo is usually for forced prostitution and forced labor. The government there is very weak; they do not seem to show any evidence of punishing and prosecuting the human trafficking offenders, or in raising awareness to other people. According to one report, â€Å"Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), continued to abduct and forcibly recruit Congolese men, women, and children to bolster their ranks and serve as laborers, porters, domestics, combatants, and sex slaves. For example, between July 30 and August 2, 2010, a coalition including the LRA abducted 116 civilians from 13 villages, and subjected them to forced labor. Between January and September 2010, the LRA violently abducted more than 279 Congolese citizens, including 184 children† – Refworld. (http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,USDOS,,COD,,4e12ee8837,0.html ) The U.S.A. The USA is one of the richer countries with more protection and awareness of human trafficking, but of course, there are still people (mostly women and children) getting kidnapped and being involved in this horrible crime. Another report says, â€Å"According to the FBI, there are currently an estimated 293,000 American children at risk of being exploited and trafficked for sex. Forty percent of all human trafficking cases opened for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010 were for the sexual trafficking of a child. And while the term trafficking may conjure images of desperate illegal immigrants being forced into prostitution by human smugglers, 83 percent of victims in confirmed sex trafficking cases in this country were American citizens.† -Guest Blogger , October 6, 2012- (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/06/971401/girls-human-trafficking-and-modern-slavery-in-america/?mobile=nc) Vietnam. There are also a number of victims of human trafficking in Vietnam. Women and men here are usually trafficked for forced labor and the construction of buildings, or as domestic servants. Many Vietnamese women are trafficked to Cambodia for sexual exploitation, where they become prostitutes and are often unable to escape. When they get older they are thrown out of the trafficking and left to look after themselves. In 2004, the police had estimated that more than 50,000 Vietnamese women and girls under the age of under 18 had been victims of human trafficking, and the number is getting higher every year. http://www.globalexchange.org/country/vietnam/trafficking Effects There are lots of effects on the victims of human trafficking, mostly psychological and physical problems. There will also be health effects on the victims. Psychological effects could be even worse than physical effects as the victims will suffer from lack of self-esteem, emotional disturbance, depression, and they could even be scarred for life. This problem could lead to suicide. Health effects are also very serious. The victims who are involved in sexual exploitation can easily be infected by diseases such as HIV/AIDS. These diseases can then be passed onto their future partners (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-human-trafficking.html) The families of the victims of human trafficking will be affected. The families would be completely broken and it will also affect their whole life, losing one of their loved ones. The society would be affected as well. This generation, people do not really do anything to prevent human trafficking. They do not help. Therefore, people now will always think that it is not their problem, so they do not have to worry. The society is getting worse and worse, and more selfish. Conclusion This essay shows the causes and effects of human trafficking. Human trafficking happens everywhere in the world, mostly in poorer countries with weak governments that usually do not help decrease the amount of human trafficking in their country. Additionally, the effects of this crime on the victims involved could be very serious, leading to mental problems like depression or even suicide. References Causes http://www.caritas.org/activities/women_migration/caritas_migration_trafficking_and_women.html?cnt=431 http://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/section.action?sectionId=90963548-0cf3-43e1-8e59-4bce1b03192d §ionType=LIST_ENTITIES_SQUARE_IMAGES Human Trafficking in Vietnam http://www.actionaid.org.uk/100191/human_trafficking.html http://www.globalexchange.org/country/vietnam/trafficking In USA http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/06/971401/girls-human-trafficking-and-modern-slavery-in-america/?mobile=nc http://www.today.com/id/22083762/site/todayshow/ns/today-today_news/t/sex-slaves-human-trafficking-america/#.UPod-R37iYk In Congo http://www.indexmundi.com/democratic_republic_of_the_congo/trafficking_in_persons.html Effects http://www.buzzle.com/articles/effects-of-human-trafficking.html

Might, May, and Can

Might, May, and Can Might, May, and Can Might, May, and Can By Jacquelyn Landis Most writers use may and might interchangeably: I may go to the library to work on my term paper. I might go to the library to work on my term paper. Is there a difference? There is, but it’s slight. May suggests a possibility that an action will occur, while might suggests a slightly smaller possibility. So if I say that I may go to the library, there’s a reasonably good chance that it’s on my agenda. But if I say that I might go, the odds that I will aren’t quite as good. The distinction between the two is sufficiently fine that it’s not something writers need to obsess about. However, when referring to something in the past, the rules get tighter. The past tense of may is might. She might have left a message on my voice mail. (Not she may have) From time to time, writers also struggle with the difference between may and can. The difference here is more pronounced. May expresses permission, while can expresses ability. Moms everywhere are notorious for emphasizing this particular grammatical difference. Question: Mom, can I paint my bedroom walls black? Answer: I’m sure you can, but you may not. In informal speech (including dialogue in fiction), we have slipped into using can when may would be more appropriate. In truth, strict adherence to the difference between the two can seem a little prissy at times. Still, it’s a valid distinction that writers should strive to apply when it makes sense. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of Humor16 Misquoted Quotations5 Examples of Insufficient Hyphenation

The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project did more than allow the United States to knock Japan out of World War II: it allowed the United States to lead the way into the Nuclear Age. The United States needed a way to end the war quickly without losing many of its own lives, so the president ordered scientists and generals to work on the making of an atomic bomb. This was called the Manhattan Project. There was a sense of urgency because the Americans feared that the Germans were on the brink of making an atomic bomb themselves. If the Nazis made an atomic bomb before the Allies, Hitler might have been able to conquer all of Europe by forcing the countries to surrender. The work which was done in the Manhattan Project and the knowledge we have gained from the work are leading into a revolution in our sources of energy. President Harry Truman realized that Japans desperation caused its soldiers to fight with fanatical courage. They would not give in to the Americans. Propaganda caused the Japanese to think that the Americans were mean and would torture them if they were caught. People were so mislead and confused that they agreed to be kamikazes and kill themselves for the sake of winning the war. Japanese officials convinced them that it was an honor to die for the well being of Japan. There was a battle on Okinawa, a Pacific island, which cost the Americans 50,000 soldiers dead or wounded. The ruthless and stubborn leaders were not going to surrender easily, so an invasion of each of the tiny islands of Japan was necessary in order for the Americans to force the Japanese into surrendering. Experts figure that an invasion of each of these islands would cost the However, a bomb of mass destruction would force the Japanese to surrender. The leaders would see that a few well-placed bombs would blow Japan right off the map. Four or five bombs could ruin everything th...