Who Invented the Steam Car

The automobile as we know it today was not invented in a single day by a single inventor. Rather, the history of the automobile reflects an evolution that took place worldwide, a result of more than 100,000 patents from several inventors.   And there were many firsts that occurred along the way, starting with the first theoretical plans for a motor vehicle that had been drawn up by both Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton. However, its important to bear in mind that the earliest practical vehicles were powered by steam. Nicolas Joseph Cugnots Steam Vehicles In 1769, the very first self-propelled road vehicle was a military tractor invented by French engineer and mechanic, Nicolas Joseph Cugnot. He used a steam engine to power his vehicle, which was built under his instructions at the Paris Arsenal. The steam engine and boiler were separate from the rest of the vehicle and placed in the front. It was used by the French Army to haul artillery at a whopping speed of 2 and 1/2 mph on only three wheels. The vehicle even had to stop every ten to fifteen minutes to build up steam power. The following year, Cugnot built a steam-powered tricycle that carried four passengers. In 1771, Cugnot drove one of his road vehicles into a stone wall, giving the inventor the distinct honor of being the first person to get into a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of his bad luck. After one of Cugnots patrons died and the other was exiled, funding for Cugnots road vehicle experiments dried up. During the early history of self-propelled vehicles, both road and railroad vehicles were being developed with steam engines. For instance, Cugnot also designed two steam locomotives with engines that never worked well. These early systems powered cars by burning fuel that heated water in a boiler, creating steam that expanded and pushed pistons that turned the crankshaft, which then turned the wheels.    However, the problem was that steam engines added so much weight to a vehicle that they proved a poor design for road vehicles. Still, steam engines were successfully used in locomotives. And historians,who accept that early steam-powered road vehicles were technically automobiles often consider Nicolas Cugnot to be the inventor of the first automobile. A Brief Timeline of Steam-Powered Cars After Cugnot, several other inventors designed steam-powered road vehicles. They include fellow Frenchman Onesiphore Pecqueur, who also invented the first differential gear. Heres a brief timeline of those who contributed to the ongoing evolution of the automobile:   In 1789, the first U.S. patent for a steam-powered land vehicle was granted to Oliver Evans.In 1801, Richard Trevithick built a road carriage powered by steam -- the first in Great Britain.In Britain, from 1820 to 1840, steam-powered stagecoaches were in regular service. These were later banned from public roads and Britains railroad system developed as a result.Steam-driven road tractors (built by Charles Deitz) pulled passenger carriages around Paris and Bordeaux up to 1850.In the United States, numerous steam coaches were built from 1860 to 1880. Inventors included  Harrison Dyer, Joseph Dixon, Rufus Porter  and William T. James.Amedee Bollee Sr. built advanced steam cars from 1873 to 1883. The La Mancelle built in 1878, had a front-mounted engine, shaft drive to the differential, chain drive to the rear wheels, steering wheel on a vertical shaft and drivers seat behind the engine. The boiler was carried behind the passenger compartment.In 1871, Dr. J. W. Carhart, professor of physics at Wisconsin State University, and the J. I. Case Company built a working steam car that won a 200-mile race. Arrival of Electric Cars Steam engines were not the only engines used in early automobiles as vehicles with electrical engines also gained traction around the same time. Sometime between 1832 and 1839, Robert Anderson of Scotland invented the first electric carriage. They relied on rechargeable batteries that powered a small electric motor. The vehicles were heavy, slow, expensive and needed to be recharged frequently. Electricity was more practical and efficient when used to power tramways and streetcars, where a constant supply of electricity was possible. Yet around 1900, electric land vehicles in America came to outsell all other types of cars. Then in the several years following 1900, sales of electric vehicles took a nosedive as a new type of vehicle powered by gasoline came to dominate the consumer market.

The Role of Women in Literature Essay - 1283 Words

The Role of Women in The Thousand and One Nights, The Ramayana of Valmiki and The Medea Throughout most of the assigned readings in this class, women are portrayed as clever, ruthless, and deceitful individuals that are willing to do whatever it takes in order to get what they desire. With careful calculation and timing they are able to manipulate others into doing things their way and have favor in their eyes. Sometimes they use their craftiness for good and other times for evil, whatever reason they have for such action usually impacting the story and its characters immensely. In The Thousand and One Nights tale, the deceitfulness of women impacts the story from the beginning to the end. Every good and bad thing that occurred in†¦show more content†¦However, instead he discovers how cunning and devious women can truly be. During his trip he met a demon’s wife who had slept with one-hundredth men, including him and his brother, Shahzaman, right in the demon’s presences without him knowing. From that point on the fate of many women changed, because King Shahrayar vowed to never have anything to do with a woman for more than a night. He went on a killing rampage; every woman who slept with him for the night was immediately killed at dawn. Since it was the cunning of women that caused him to start practicing such an abominable lifestyle, it was that same cunningness that unknowingly changed him. Greatly disturbed by the king’s practice, Shahrazad, the king’s vizier’s daughter, devised a plan that she hoped would save her and many other women. For a thousand and one nights, she told the king numerous tales and through those nights he changed gradually. Not for once did he noticed the passing of each night, he was so hooked in the tales that were being told to him that the thought of him being trick did not crossed his mind. At the end instead commanding the death of Shahrazad, he instead thanked and blessed her several times. Yes, great is truly the cunning of women (The Thousand and One Nights, 413). This quote can be related to many other works of literature. One thing is true for sure; as long as a woman character is present in a story one should expect deceitful and craftiness. InShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Women In Literature1587 Words   |  7 Pagesfeelings that they have. Majority of the time these feelings are expressed through literature. An example is the archetypes that can be found throughout literature. In the British Middle Ages, the people were grouped into different social classes using the feudal system. Society was mainly broken into two separate groups, the nobles, and the peasants. However, there was also a subset group, which maintained the women. Women were the lowest of the low because they were considered to be evil because ofRead MoreWomen s Role For Literature887 Words   |  4 PagesWomen’s role in Literature The role of women in the society is always questioned and for centuries, they have struggled to find their place in a world that is predominantly male oriented. The treatment of women was extremely negative; they were expected to stay home and fulfill domestic duties. Literature of that time embodies and mirrors social issues of women in society (Lecture on the Puritans). But, slowly and gradually, situation being changed: â€Å"During the first half of the 19th century, womenRead MoreThe Role of Women in Medieval Literature1344 Words   |  5 Pagesfaith when interpreting medieval English literature like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales (Morgan 265). Heng concurs that there are textual assumptions that we now recognize, with the unfair judgment of hindsight, as implicated in a fantasy of textual closure and command, (500). The privilege of hindsight, does, however, offer the opportunity to explore the connections between historical social codes and those e mbedded in the literature of the corresponding epoch. The seekingRead More Roles of Women in Literature Essay518 Words   |  3 Pages The Realm of Women in Literature nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"So it is naturally with the male and the female; the one is superior, the other inferior; the one governs, the other is governed; and the same rule must necessarily hold good with respect to all mankind.† This quote, spoken by the famous Aristotle, proves to be timeless. The words express knowledge concerning gender that proves to be centuries ahead of its time. Aristotle however, may not have even realized the amount of truth expressedRead MoreRole of Women in Literature Essay2336 Words   |  10 PagesThe Representation of Women in Literature br brThe role of women in society is constantly questioned and for centuries women have struggled to find their place in a world that is predominantly male oriented. Literature provides a window into the lives, thoughts and actions of women during certain periods of time in a fictitious form, yet often truthful in many ways. Ernest Hemmingways Hills like White Elephants, D.H. Lawrences The Horse Dealers D aughter and William Faulkners A Rose forRead MoreGender Roles Of Women s Literature1661 Words   |  7 Pageswhich gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature significantly contributes to the development of our youth’s understanding of their own gender’s role and how they are perceived by society. It is important for children to understand gender roles because gender roles are an essential cog in the perpetual machine that develops our society, but these cogs have been replaced with newer, more up-to-date cogs over recent years, so to speak. As society has changed, so has the typical role that eachRead MoreRole Of Women During Greek Literature1526 Words   |  7 PagesThe role of women in Greek literature has demoralized them and showing them in a maligned light. The women are portrayed as frail, cruel, insensitive, or as seductresses. These characteristics have been integrated into today’s society and [have] built the standards and defined the moral outlook of women. However, in Greek mythology, powerful and strong women are not as well celebrated, such as Athena. Homer’s The Odyssey construes the positive and negative role of women through the epic poem. TheRead MoreWomen s Literature : Oppression And The Role Of A Woman971 Words   |  4 PagesEvan Rhodes Survey of World Literature December 1, 2014 Hartmann Women in Literature: Oppression and the Role of a Woman In early literature, men dominated the writers’ circuit. As literature began, it was used as an easily digestible way to promote social norms and moral code. In these texts, the role of women changes vastly depending on the culture, although there is a common theme: women exist to belong to a man. Women were not only oppressed in life, but their struggle is weaved into all ofRead MoreRole Of Women And Motherhood Through Modern Literature883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women and Motherhood through Modern Literature Gertrude Stein’s story The Gentle Lena in Three Lives reaffirms the expectations of women set out by society, yet the main character Lena challenges the role of women in the workforce, marriage, and motherhood. Lena’s gentle, sweet, patient and servant-like behavior affirms the way society saw women. Women had no voice as to what to expect from their lives and for many their greatest aspiration was to be a mother. Lena’s life just likeRead MoreThe Evolution of the Role of Women in British and American Literature1808 Words   |  8 Pagesdegrading† (McEwan 55-56). Throughout the history of literature women have been viewed as inferior to men, but as time has progressed the idealistic views of how women perceive themselves has changed. In earlier literature women took the role of being the â€Å"housewife† or the household caretaker for the family while the men provided for the family. Women were hardly mentioned in the workforce and always held a s pot under their husband’s wing. Women were viewed as a calm and caring character in many stories

African American Injustice Free Essays

â€Å"In the eyes of white Americans, being black encapsulates your identity. † In reading and researching the African American cultural group, this quote seemed to identify exactly the way the race continues to still be treated today after many injustices in the past. It is astonishing to me that African Americans can still stand to be treated differently in today’s society. We will write a custom essay sample on African American Injustice or any similar topic only for you Order Now In reading â€Å"Blacks in America†, Andrew Hacker states that â€Å"being black in America has consequences in areas of: wealth, identity, raising children, occupational opportunities, place of residence, and treatment in the criminal justice system. † To be honest, and I feel bad saying that I already knew this was happening to African Americans. I have heard stories of blacks not getting jobs; regardless of how qualified they are for the position, because of the color of their skin. I have heard stories, and even witness black children getting picked on in school because of the simple fact that they are black.I watched a video in school where a black family moved into a white neighborhood, and before long all the white families had moved out because they didn’t want a black family in their neighborhood. This was confirmed by Hacker in my research in the quote, â€Å"Almost all residential areas are entirely black or white. † I have also seen videos of African American men getting beaten by white arresting officers, and have heard stories of many black men being stereotyped by policemen. This must be why Hacker states â€Å"When white people hear the cry, â€Å"the police are coming! it almost always means, â€Å"Help is on the way. † However blacks cannot make the same assumption. † These are all reports and events that I think the average American has seen before, but yet most people, including myself, continue to just shrug of and ignore. I guess it’s something that I might have subconsciously accepted, or maybe refused to think more deeply about. In reading and researching, I reaffirmed knowledge that I refused to take a greater note of. I wouldn’t say I learned anything new, because I new what I wanted to focus on. A quote from Andrew Hacker’s article summarizes the above best, â€Å"In the eyes of white Americans, being black encapsulates your identity. † It may be easy to tell how I am going to focus this anthology. I am going to focus it on the injustices that African Americans continue to face in the United States today. That being, I know exactly what I need to get out of my interviewees, but it is probably a sensitive subject for some of the people I need to interview.I am not black, and I don’t know what it feels like to face this discrimination in everyday life. I can understand the tenderness that African Americans must feel then, when revealing and talking about their experiences with discrimination. I would think then, that it must be especially sensitive to talk about with a person from the race that they receive this everyday discrimination. It will be interesting to hear all the different types of prejudice that my interviewees have received throughout their lives.I would imagine that it ranges from just a look, or the way white Americans act around them, to voiced and physical altercations between themselves and white Americans. Hacker at times seems to be speaking directly to African Americans as he describes these altercations, â€Å"So many of the contacts you have with them (w hite Americans) are stiff and uneasy, hardly worth the effort. † But to me, that is exactly what the problem is. Why would it not be worth the effort?The first step to take for the uneasiness between the two races to cease to exist is for us (all people) to stop seeing color because once we act differently around the other is where all the problems seem to start. The second step is to make these contacts worth the effort. If we choose to continue to stay in our own comfortable circle of race, when is the problem ever going to end? The answer is never. My opinion as a white 18 year old is that most of the blame lies on the white race.Imagine being eyed every time you go into a store, having your car searched for no reason, or greeted warily at restaurants all because the color of your skin is different. We ignore this daily discrimination because no cares enough anymore to take notice that it happens every hour, every day somewhere in the United States. Will it ever stop? Not until we each take the steps to make it. A recent census commercial I’ve seen said â€Å"We (United States) can’t move forward until you mail it back. † I believe that our country can’t move forward and truly be great until we make sure these daily iscriminations are eliminated from our society. In this project, I will interview African Americans on their personal experiences with discrimination, how they handle it, and if they think anything can be done about this problem.Sources: Andrew. 1999. â€Å"Blacks in America. † Pp. 160-168 in The Meaning of Sociology, 6th ed. , edited by Joel Charon. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. A Time to Kill. Dir. Joel Schumacher. 1996. â€Å"African American History. † University of Washington Libraries. Web. 02 Apr. 2010. . How to cite African American Injustice, Papers

Emancipation Proclamation free essay sample

The Emancipation Proclamation led to the end of slavery, and is one of the most controversial documents in American history. Human slavery was the focus of political conflict in the United States from the 1830s to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate for presidency in 1860, personally abhorred slavery and was pledged to prevent it from spreading to western territories. At the same time he believed that the Constitution did not allow federal government to prohibit slavery in states where it already existed. Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me† (McPherson 21). In accordance with his quote, when President Lincoln issued the unprecedented Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, Lincoln freed slaves in the Southern states, but he and his actions were being controlled by Civil War. The Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865 between the Northern states, or the Union, and the Southern states, or the Confederacy. On September 22, 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln put forth a Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (Tackach 45). The document stated that after January 1, 1863, slaves belonging to all Southern states that were still in rebellion would be free (Tackach 45). However, the Emancipation Proclamation had no immediate effect; slavery was not legally prohibited until the Thirteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1865, about three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was decreed (Tackach 9-10). If the Emancipation Proclamation did not completely abolish slavery, what was the point of the document? Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was not actually written for the purpose of freeing any slaves. Rather, it was a war tactic to militarily weaken the South, add soldiers to the Union cause, and please abolitionist Northerners. From the start of the Civil War, Lincoln clarified that the goal of the war was not â€Å"`to put down slavery, but to put the flag back,’† and he refused to declare the war as a war over slavery (Brodie 155 as qtd. in Klingaman 75-76). In a letter to Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, in August 1862, Lincoln wrote: â€Å"My paramount object in this struggle is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tackach 44). Lincoln also refused  to declare that slavery was the Civil War’s main focus because many Whites in the North and in the much-valued Border States would not agree with a war to free slaves since they believed Blacks were inferior to Whites (Wheeler 225-226). The political and military advantages of the Border States made Lincoln reluctant to proclaim the Civil War to be a war about slavery (Wheeler 225-226). Even Jefferson Davis, president of the enemy Confederacy, disagreed with a war about slavery (Wheeler 226). Then why did President Lincoln, in the midst of a war he claimed was not about slavery, issue the Emancipation Proclamation? The Emancipation Proclamation itself answers the question, stating that Lincoln was freeing the Southerners’ slaves, â€Å"upon military necessity† (Klingaman 232). Lincoln freed Southern slaves, â€Å"as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing†¦ rebellion† (Klingaman 231). President Lincoln took advantage of his position as Commander-in-Chief of the United States, as well as his ability to act without Congress’ consent, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation for military reasons (Heinrichs 15). Lincoln knew that the proclamation would prove to be a useful tool of defense during the fierce Civil War. It can only be concluded that Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation for somewhat selfish reasons, as to increase the North’s chances of victory in the Civil War. By issuing a document that freed slaves, the North could undoubtedly gain foreign allies, and at the same time deprive the South of their foreign support. Great Britain was supportive of the South’s secession from the Union because Britain relied on the South’s cotton (Tackach 43). Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts claimed to Lincoln that since Great Britain was anti-slavery, if Lincoln would change the Civil War’s main focus to slavery, the abolitionist North would gain Britain’s support (Tackach 43). By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln changed the Civil War’s focal point from secession to slavery, transferring Great Britain’s support from the Confederacy to the Union (Tackach 43). In fact, the original reason why Jefferson Davis did not want the war to revolve around slavery was to prevent loss of support from foreign governments (Wheeler 226). In addition, should the Southern slaves be freed, the South would lose certain advantages that slavery presented them with. Some slave owners forced their slaves to aid the Southern war cause by working for the Confederate army (Tackach 45). Also, slaves tended to their owners’ plantations, allowing the owners to  enlist in the Confederate army without having to worry about their land’s upkeep (Tackach 43). Should the Emancipation Proclamation be issued, the Confederate army would lose beneficial slave labor, resulting in the loss of many soldiers, since many plantation owners would be forced to return home to maintain their land (Tackach 43, 45). Furthermore, the Emancipation Proclamation stated that the United States government would take no action against freed slaves exercising their freedom (Tackach 45). Northerners believed that freed slaves would rise up, rebel and therefore weaken the South with this additional method (Wheeler 227). In most wars, the overall sum of troops has a considerable impact on the war’s outcome. In the Civil War, Lincoln utilized the newly freed slaves and gained a military advantage by allowing them to enlist in the Union army (Tackach 47). Lincoln referred to Blacks fighting for the Union as â€Å"`the great available and yet unavailed of force for restoring the Union’† (Hunt 133). Altogether, 185,000 Blacks fought for the Union army, about ten percent of the total sum of Union troops throughout the Civil War (Tackach 54, Wheeler 255). Over 37,000 former slaves died fighting for the Union army (Heinrichs 28). The amount of enlisted Blacks undoubtedly helped secure the North’s victory in the Civil War. Eventually, Jefferson Davis allowed Blacks to fight in the Confederate army (Wheeler 224-225). But with no records of Blacks’ combat, Davis’ decision to use Black troops came too late (Wheeler 257, 224-225). The South’s lack of Black soldiers and ultimate defeat reflect how advantageous and strategic Black soldiers were in the Civil War. Military advantage was not the only matter persuading Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation; Northerners’ pleas for abolition also influenced Lincoln’s decision to free Southern slaves. In the beginning of the Civil War, Northerners did not actively oppose slavery (Klingaman 21-22 ). But as the war progressed, more and more Northerners began to believe that abolition of slavery went along with defeat of the South (Klingaman 81). One reason for the change of heart was the impact of eyewitness accounts of slavery’s brutality. During the Civil War, many Union soldiers situated in the South witnessed the horrors of slavery and informed their families of the cruelty they had seen . Due to these eyewitness accounts, Northerners sympathized with slaves, leading to increased favor of abolition By January 1862, about half the Union soldiers wanted slavery to be obliterated (Klingaman 92). Many Northerners agreed with Massachusetts clergyman Thomas W. Higginson’s quote that stated, â€Å"`†¦the idea of conquering rebellion without destroying slavery is only to be equaled by the idea of storming hell without disturbing the personal comfort of the devil’† (Klingaman 81). A common statement among Northerners, voiced by an Iowan citizen, proclaimed, â€Å"`I believe that slavery (the worst of all curses) was the sole cause of this Rebellion, and until this cause is removed and slavery abolished, the rebellion will continue to exist’† (McPherson 118). Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to silence such pleas for abolition from Northerners, and because abolitionist sentiment in the North pushed Lincoln to consider abolishing slavery. Lincoln’s dishonest intentions for the Emancipation Proclamation to help the North militarily, and not to eradicate slavery from the United States, were hinted through weaknesses in the act ual Emancipation Proclamation. First of all, the Emancipation Proclamation stated that only those slaves in the Southern states, and not all slaves in the United States, would be freed on January 1, 1863 (Tackach 9-10). Secondly, the Emancipation Proclamation could only legally apply under certain circumstances. The North would have to win the Civil War; should the South win the war and become its own nation, the Emancipation Proclamation would have no legal effect whatsoever (Tackach 9-10). In addition, the Emancipation Proclamation could only become a United States law through an amendment to the Constitution (Tackach 9-10). The wording of the Emancipation Proclamation also displays Lincoln’s halfhearted feelings toward freeing Southerners’ slaves: The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation deemed Southern slaves â€Å"forever free,† but in the actual Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln changed the wording to â€Å"free† (Klingaman 228). The Emancipation Proclamation was not even immediately effective in those areas where it did apply: Some Texan slaves did not hear of their freedom until two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued (Heinrichs 24-25). When Lincoln was signing the Emancipation Proclamation, his hand was shaking uncontrollably (Klingaman 227). Perhaps Lincoln was aware and nervous that he was wrongly freeing slaves for military reasons, and not for the sake of their freedom. Also, Lincoln decreed the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862 only to see how the public would react to such a document (Wheeler 227). If Lincoln was issuing the  proclamation for the welfare of slaves, he should not have cared about public opinion. The Emancipation Proclamation achieved very little for the slaves themselves. Lincoln’s Act seemed like both an act of desperation and a selfish document. The reason why the Lincoln did not free Northern slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation was because Lincoln felt he could gain the upper hand militarily in the Civil War without having to free all United States slaves. Lincoln only freed the Southern slaves since those slaves alone would present Lincoln with enough military advantage to boost the Union’s chances of winning the Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation wrongly convinced slaves that Lincoln truly cared about their freedom. Lincoln only acted out of concern for his Union, his war, and his place in history.

Aboriginal Awareness, a look at the culture of Australian aboriginals.

Aboriginal Awareness, a look at the culture of Australian aboriginals. Growing Awareness ofAboriginal CultureCulture, according to the Macquarie Dictionary, is the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings which is transmitted from one generation to another.At contact there was no single, homogeneous Aboriginal society, groups differed in aspects of their cultural and social organisations.Existence of widespread social networks meant that people had to be multilingual to communicate, like wise music and dance, kinship systems, art forms and ceremonies differed dramatically between regions. Yet these differences were probably less important then the underlying similarities which brought groups together for ceremonies, trade, to intermarry and which allowed the maintenance of myths, song lines and exchange cycles that extended over hundreds of kilometres.The Dreamtime, or Aboriginal Dreaming, refers to stories about the creation period. It is part of a complex system of beliefs and spirituality governing the whole lifestyle of the Ab original people.Indigenous Australian rock art depicting Barramund...Religious and spiritual beliefs affected all aspects of Aboriginal life, including which foods people were permitted to eat, marriage laws, and the designs that were carved or painted on implements and weapons.Knowledge of the law and of religion and of the Dreaming stories was acquired progressively. The elders in each group possessed the traditional knowledge and passed it on to the younger generation at particular ceremonies.Today much detailed religious knowledge has been lost due to the effects of white settlement.Terms such as tribes, clans, clusters and so on, are used somewhat loosely in English but for Aboriginal society there were very clear laws and kinship systems which determined the society structure of any group.The Aboriginal people used the resources of the land with expertise. Their movements in search of food were not random but in response to seasonal availability of resources. The waterways,

Here Is a Brief History of Print Journalism in America

Here Is a Brief History of Print Journalism in America When it comes to the history of journalism, everything starts with the invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century. However, while Bibles and other books were among the first things produced by Gutenbergs press, it wasnt until the 17th century that the first newspapers were distributed in Europe. The first regularly published paper came out twice a week in England, as did the first daily, The Daily Courant. A New Profession in a Fledgling Nation In America, the history of journalism is inextricably intertwined with the history of the country itself. The first newspaper in the American colonies - Benjamin Harriss Publick Occurrences both Foreighn and Domestick - was published in 1690 but immediately shut down for not having a required license. Interestingly, Harris newspaper employed an early form of reader participation. The paper was printed on three sheets of stationery-size paper and the fourth page was left blank so that readers could add their own news, then pass it on to someone else. Many newspapers of the time were not objective or neutral in tone like the papers we know today. Rather, they were fiercely partisan publications that editorialized against the tyranny of the British government, which in turn did its best to crack down on the press. An Important Case In 1735, Peter Zenger, publisher of the New York Weekly Journal, was arrested and put on trial for allegedly printing libelous things about the British government. But his lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, argued that the articles in question could not be libelous because they were based on fact. Zenger was found not guilty, and the case established the precedent that a statement, even if negative, cannot be libelous if it is true. This landmark case helped establish the foundation of a free press in the then-fledgling nation. The 1800s There were already several hundred newspapers in the U.S. by 1800, and that number would grow dramatically as the century wore on. Early on, papers were still very partisan, but gradually they became more than simply mouthpieces for their publishers. Newspapers were also growing as an industry. In 1833 Benjamin Day opened the New York Sun and created the Penny Press. Days cheap papers, filled with sensational content  aimed at a working-class audience, were a huge hit. With huge increases in circulation and larger printing presses to meet the demand, newspapers became a mass medium. This period also saw the establishment of more prestigious newspapers that began to incorporate the kinds of journalistic standards that we know today. One such paper started in 1851 by George Jones and Henry Raymond, made a point of featuring quality reporting and writing. The name of the paper? The New York Daily Times, which later became The New York Times. The Civil War The Civil War era brought technical advances like photography to the nations great papers. And the advent of the telegraph enabled Civil War correspondents to transmit stories back to their newspapers home offices with unprecedented speed. Telegraph lines often went down, so reporters learned to put the most important information in their stories into the first few lines of the transmission. This led to the development of the tight, inverted-pyramid style of writing that we associate with newspapers today. This period also saw the formation of The Associated Press wire service, which started as a cooperative venture between several large newspapers wanting to share the news that arrived by telegraph from Europe. Today the AP is the worlds oldest and one of the largest news agencies. Hearst, Pulitzer Yellow Journalism The 1890s saw the rise of publishing moguls William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Both owned papers in New York and elsewhere, and both employed a sensationalistic kind of journalism designed to lure as many readers as possible. The term yellow journalism dates from this era; it comes from the name of a comic strip - The Yellow Kid - published by Pulitzer. The 20th Century - And Beyond Newspapers thrived into the mid-20th century but with the advent of radio, television and then the Internet, newspaper circulation underwent a slow but steady decline. In the 21st century, the newspaper industry has grappled with layoffs, bankruptcies and even the closing of some publications. Still, even in an age of 24/7 cable news and thousands of websites, newspapers maintain their status as the best source for in-depth and investigative news coverage. The value of newspaper journalism is perhaps best demonstrated by the Watergate scandal, in which two reporters, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, did a series of investigative articles about corruption and nefarious doings in the Nixon White House. Their stories, along with ones done by other publications, led to President Nixons resignation. The future of print journalism as an industry remains unclear. On the internet, blogging about current events has become enormously popular, but critics charge that most blogs are filled with gossip and opinions, not real reporting. There are hopeful signs online. Some websites are returning to old-school journalism, such as VoiceofSanDiego.org, which highlights investigative reporting, and GlobalPost.com, which focuses on foreign news. While the quality of print journalism remains high, its clear that newspapers as an industry must find a new business model in order to survive well into the 21st century.

Oprah Winfrey Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oprah Winfrey Life - Essay Example All the ventures that she started achieved a great measure of success. After 25 years of hosting the immensely successful show known as The Oprah Winfrey Show (TOWS) Oprah made the drastic decision to end the show. She also indicated that she has the intention to start up her very on television network to be known as Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Considering that TOWS which is what most people identify with Oprah will no longer be produced, the question becomes whether Oprah’s network OWN can achieve the same success that TOWS achieved or Oprah is overstretching her ability and brand power (http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-Winfreys-Official-Biography ) . TOWS was broadcast over the 25 year period and it grew to be one of the most watched television shows. The show had an estimated viewership of 42 million weekly viewers in the US. It was also broadcast in around 145 different countries. The popularity of the show was credited to the confessional approach that the show had. It provided a forum for people to share their story and was used as a platform to empower people to live better and healthier lives. The book club that Oprah formed as a segment of TOWS served to encourage people to adopt a reading culture. Most of the books selected for this role achieved the best seller status. Other brands that were endorsed by Oprah also became immensely successful. The success of the Oprah brand was also extended to the online version or website for TOWS, which is Oprah.com, and to the O magazine. Oprah’s media ventures also included satellite radio when through a deal with XM satellite radio she started the channel Oprah and friends, and later renamed the channel Oprah radio. Aside from her contribution to the media, Oprah is also a philanthropist. She has regularly contributed to causes that are aimed at making education accessible for the disadvantaged in different communities. Her contribution to education also includes starting The Oprah Winfrey Aca demy for Girls, which is aimed at empowering young disadvantaged girls in South Africa. The academy seeks to empower them to achieve their dreams and ambitions and also develop women in South Africa for leadership positions (http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-Winfreys-Official-Biography). The different brands that Oprah managed to create and grow to a success are often associated with her personality and her face. This makes it easier for people to identify with the brand and has led to what is considered ‘the Oprah effect’. Her personality has been recognized based on her ability to be honest about different issues that have affected her as well as those that affect people all over the world. She is therefore considered as one of the most powerful opinion leaders and shapers in the world. Celebrity branding has been unsuccessful in several instances. There is therefore the concern that the new venture (OWN) by Oprah may fail following an overuse or overexposure of Op rah as a brand. Celebrity branding has gone wrong such as in the case of Martha Stewart who was once a powerful brand in several instances. Following credibility issues that were brought about by her arrest and jailing, the brand Martha Stewart became one that nobody wanted to have any kind of association with. Despite many attempts to revive the brand, people continued to avoid it and anything that was thought to have any form of

Snowblower Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Snowblower - Essay Example Every project faces constraints at the drawing stage. Constraints are the challenges or obstacles that affect an undertaking. It is therefore very important to analyze all constraints that a project may encounter before it begins. However, constraints do not imply a failure but they act as a guide to success. That being said, designing a snow blower is not an easy task because of the various designs in the market. Before we started the project, we were determined in producing an electric snow blower for a start before further engaging in producing gasoline or diesel powered snow blower machines. The following are just but a few of the constraints encountered and their significance (Kolisch, 1995). These constraints generally focus on architecture decisions that have a tendency to limit the project’s solution design. They therefore tend not to be flexible and static. They have a great impact on the implementation of the solution (Kolisch, 1995). Technical constraints in our case included materials, design, whether manual or computerized, type of engine whether electric or gasoline powered and the size of the snow blowers. This was very challenging because the mentioned constraints are very significant for the success of the project. These types of constraints are required due to the fact that the theme of our project aimed at designing something unique and not available in the market. This was a driving force for further innovation in the design of the snow blower. Quality is a vital constraint in a project because in designing a product, quality is fundamental for the customers to accept the product. It was very significant because our snow blower had to be a state of the yard invention that delivers the required workload as expected in a short time frame. Under this constraint, the idea was whether to develop a single stage or a two stage snow blower. Single stage machines use

Social Awareness Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Social Awareness - Assignment Example waited without having any interaction with his spouse or girlfriend, he was more or less relaxed with an open stance; however, as soon as she appeared, he closed his legs, removed his arm from the back of the bench and acted as if he were immediately in a more formal setting. With regards to the social awareness that the situation presented, it is the belief of this observer that the level of awareness was directly exhibited by the man on the bench with regards to how the situation changed for him as soon as his wife or girlfriend returned from her shopping experience. As has been previously discussed, the situation itself was more or less informal as it too place within a relatively busy shopping mall and both participants knew each other reasonably well due to the fact that they exhibited being in a relationship. However, even though a level of familiarity existed between the individuals, an analysis of the social awareness that was exhibited by the male specifically helped this observer to quickly note that his overall level of comfort with the situation and/or with seeing his wife or girlfriend was not as easy or as informal as the situation itself dictated. Although the conversation between the two individuals was within earshot of me while I observed the given communication and signals that were transmitted, it was the nonverbal communication that most effectively told me what was truly going on within the given situation. As a result of the male’s actions and non verbal stance with regards to seeing the female return, I was able to form a rather rapid determination of my impression of the pair based upon this observation. The second interaction that I observed was that of a general manager of a grocery store discussing the way in which a return could not be accepted due to the fact that the customer was unable to present a valid receipt for the item. What took place between the two individuals was a situational misunderstanding, disagreement, and

Development Of Autobiographical Memory Psychology Essay

Development Of Autobiographical Memory Psychology Essay Three Forms of Social Interaction in Early Life and the Development, Organisation and Maintenance of Autobiographical Memory. Autobiographical memories are those enduring memories of events and personal experiences which are drawn from in the construction of an individuals life story. The personal and social meanings attached to those memories provide us and those we relate our story to, with a sense of how we became who we are. The development of an inner autobiographical knowledge base begins with the onset of the cognitive self and social interaction plays an important role in shaping and maintaining our memories. This essay will describe three forms of social interaction and how these influence the development, organisation and maintenance of autobiographical memory early in life. The interaction forms described focus on gender development, personality development and distancing from the negative emotions of an event. There is debate in psychology over the timeframe in which autobiographical memories begin to develop. The sociolinguistic argument states that the acquisition of language is crucial to early life development of autobiographical memories which are created in the construction of our personal narrative (Fivush, Haden Reese, 2006). Proponents of the cognitive perspective however, have found empirical support for their argument that the development of the cognitive self, awareness of self as a separate individual, during the second year is of greater importance than the onset of language (Howe, Courage, Edison 2003). Howe et al. report the period of amnesia in infants ends with the ability to recognise oneself and self consciously touch a red spot surreptitiously placed on ones nose by an experimenter (2003). There is consensus however, that social interaction plays a vital role in the maintenance of memories and how these memories are recounted. Cross-cultural studies have shown that culturally driven styles of interaction lead children to create their story from culturally shaped memories. Investigation of American and Asian mother and child reminiscence reveal the promotion of independence and personal actualisation valued in American culture and interdependence and modesty valued in Asian culture occur during mother child interaction (Wang Brockmeier, 2002). Comparisons of Chinese and American student memories clearly demonstrate these culturally shaped practices influence how events are encoded into autobiographical memory. American students remember detailed events which emphasise the autonomous, assured self, while Chinese students are more likely to remember less detailed events with group orientation and personal humility (Wang Brockmeier, 2002). Research suggests that parent and care-giver reminiscence style and content aids the development of culturally determined gender norms, values and beliefs. Fivush (1994) found during observations that white middle class mothers tended to be more elaborative in their talk about personally relevant past with girls than boys, whose language skills where not developed enough to steer or influence the conversation. Greater adult reminiscence elaboration and encouragement to construct their own narrative aids a childs autobiographical recall and solidifies the memories (Fivush, Haden Reese, 2006). Further, mothers clearly distinguished between boys and girls when leading talk about the emotional content of events. Girls tended to be given the message that they should seek out an adult to resolve fear or sadness and were encouraged to find resolution to conflict within their own relationships. Talk with boys included more emphasis on independence and attribution and explanation of anger wi th less talk of resolution. These patterns suggest that western children are socialised to understand that anger is more tolerable in boys than girls, and girls have greater responsibility towards others feelings in relationships (Fivush, 1994). Studies with adults confirm that western women and men remember differently, women recall more events that are relationship focussed (Skowski, Gibbons, Vogl Walker, 2004). The research discussed suggests that gender identities are influenced in early social interaction and autobiographical memories will develop to reflect the gendered values of ones culture. Another form of reminiscence between adult and young child serves to reinforce desirable aspects of the childs developing personality and discourage less desirable aspects. Discussion of a childs memories builds self awareness but can illicit tension, for example disapproval in relation to an episode when the child was particularly stubborn. The tension lies between the childs ideal self (loveable) actual self (stubborn) and ought self (co-operative) (Conway Pleydell-Pearce, 2000). Conway and Pleydell-Pearce (2000) devised the Self Memory System to explain how autobiographical memory is organised in terms of the complex hierarchical goal structure of the working-self which interacts with the autobiographical knowledge base. The onset of self consciousness, the cognitive self is necessary for the organisation of memories (Howe et al., 2003). The working-self goals of a young child, i.e. to be loved and accepted, are motivated by needs such as, to increase positive affect and reduce n egative affect (Conway, Singer Tagini, 2004). Conway et al. (2004) suggest that self defining memories have the strength to incorporate personal scripts into enduring autobiographical knowledge. Scripts, for example stubborn behaviour, the associated emotion and outcome, become cues and link together related autobiographical memories into themes. If being loved and accepted is a childs goal the theme stubbornness, will activate relevant memories from cues in the situation and help the child predict if being stubborn in a context will elicit a loving parental response or the opposite. In this way memories are organised to be drawn on as tools to assess how plausible and reachable goals are (Conway et al., 2004). However memories are malleable and can become distorted across time and in interaction. Researchers have found that the organisation of autobiographical memories, linked together by themes activated by contextual cues, is the foundations of personality (Woike, Gershkovich, P iorkowski Polo, 1999). Reminiscence between care-giver and child can function to equip the child with the skill to step back from the negative affect associated with an original event. On the other hand adults will encourage children to savour the positive affect tagged to an event. A body of research has demonstrated that people generally experience the fading affect bias, where event positive affect is much stronger at recall than equivalent event negative affect (Ritchie, Skowronski, Wood, Walker, Vogl Gibbons, 2006). The more a memory is talked over the better the maintenance of the memory and the stronger the fading affect bias (Skowronski et. al, 2004). From approximately two and a half years children begin to understand reasoning and often becomes fixated on why questions. Once this questioning is realised care-givers can incorporate an understanding of why events happened in their reminiscence with the child. Reduction of negative affect is the result of conscious self-distancing from the affect a nd paying attention to why they feel negatively instead of focussing on what they experienced (Kross, Ayduk Mischel, 2005). Kross et al. (2005) found that negative affect does not fade if the individual uses a cognitive immersion strategy while reflecting on the unpleasant memory. Cognitive distancing from negative affect and savouring positive affect may be skills learned in childhood, and could be contributing to the fading affect bias in autobiographical memory found in adult populations. The persons life story begins to develop in early childhood with the development of the cognitive self. The specific construction of the story will be heavily influenced by adult led conversations shaped by the family and cultural values the child is born into. Life stories convey who we are, for example our beliefs about gender norms, and are built selectively from autobiographical memories. A person will be motivated by their current goals to emphasise aspects to of their history and personality through the reconstruction of the past that maximise positive affect in that particular context. Adult child reminiscence aids the organisation of these memories which are linked together by themes and activated by cues in the environment. Adults also have the capacity to teach children to enjoy the positive feelings linked to memories and to distance themselves from negative emotion attached to memory by stepping back and asking why an event is unpleasant.

Terrorism Essay -- essays research papers

Terrorism and hostage taking may be as old as civilization itself. There are numerous references to abduction throughout Greek mythology. In midievil times hostages were taken for money or a guaranteed safe passage through a country. In the U.S., Indians on the western frontier terrorized settlers to frighten them away. Throughout the twentieth century, up until the 1970’s various terrorist acts were committed, yet it was not as big a problem as it is today. The new age of terrorism dawned at 4:30 in the morning of September 5, 1972. It was then that members of the Palestinian organization Black September attacked the Isreali Olympic team. Three men were killed on the spot and nine were taken captive. The terrorists demanded that 200 of their fellow Arabs be released from Isreali prisons. They also wanted Isreal disbanded and its territory returned to the Palestinian people. The results of the Munich attack were tragic. Following a gun battle between German sharpshooters and t he terrorists, which killed one German policeman, all nine hostages and five of the terrorists were killed by a hand grenade. The events at Munich proved that a single terrorist action, cleverly planned and daringly executed by a small band of people could accomplish as much as the movement of a large army. That is why the Munich attack was the dawn of a new age of terrorism. From the point of view of the terrorists, the main goal of the Munich attack was to draw attention to the Palestinian cause, a goal that was achieved through media coverage. This accomplishment was a lesson that terrorists everywhere were quick to learn. This is widely shown in that the number of terrorist acts has generally risen, with a trend toward bloodier incidents. The accumulation of terrorist attacks on innocent civilians has caused many changes around the world. There have been thousands of instances of terrorism. Just a few statistics can give one the idea of the seriousness of the problem. Robert Cla rke from the National Security Council put it perfectly when he said "organized crime groups now posses such significant resources that they can almost buy and sell governments" (Morrison 6). The Department of defense estimates that as many as 26 nations may posses chemical agents and or weapons and an additional twelve may be seeking to develop them. Between 1970 and 1977, terrorist movements thr... ...at the problem of terrorism. These new policies have clearly changed many routines and spending of money. Programs have been set up, thousands of people have been hired, and billions of dollars have been spent in order to reduce terrorism around the world. In the past decade, over 18,000 individuals in 50 nations gave been trained in counter terrorism. The U.S. alone gas trained more than 19,000 foreign law enforcement officials from more than 80 countries in such areas such as airport security, bomb detection, maritime security, VIP protection, hostage and rescue, and crisis management. The FBI is moving to reassign 500 of its agents to counter terrorism duty. It is also dramatically expanding its presence overseas. Along with hiring thousands of individuals to counter terrorism duty, governments have set up hundreds of programs to help gain intelligence. Anti-terrorism funding has been boosted by one billion dollars in over four years. In 1986, the Counter-Terrorism Center was set up to collect data about and coordinate strategies toward terrorist groups. In 1985, President Reagan set up a cabinet level commission, known as the Vice President’s Task Force on Combating Terrorism.