...Maria Cruz P1 Rough Draft Homosexuality is an extremely controversial topic. There is an incredibly large amount of available arguments regarding this subject, making it disputable. One available argument is the ‘stop saying gay marriage’ debate. Some people are really flustered by the fact that we say ‘gay marriage’ instead of just ‘marriage’. I completely understand this viewpoint, because the specificity of the term seems to imply that there is something different and special about two people of the same sex getting married. Although the word ‘special’ can be described as a good thing in certain cases, it has a negative connotation when we’re talking about homosexuality. Marriage is something shared by two people who love each other. Why we have to put so much emphasis on the gender, race, and color of these two people is ridiculous. Before I get off topic, I’d like to say that those who are a bit too bothered by the term ‘gay marriage’ or ‘same-sex marriage’ might also be a little over-sensitive towards the topic. I, not being a heterosexual person, am not offended by the term. I do believe that for a change in society, we must stop using them, though. Another debate relevant to homosexuality would be the one about schools not teaching positive messages about homosexuality to students. The reasoning behind this argument is due to the brain’s sponge-like resemblance. Humans, especially during their younger years, tend to absorb information at very impressive rates...
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...the United States have searched for happiness through the freedoms promised in the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution. The specific rights being sought have changed over time, but the message is loud and clear. It’s as if they are saying “We demand that the freedoms promised by our forefathers be upheld” An examination of primary sources throughout history reflects these demands. A closer look at sources from the Civil War Era compared with sources from the 1960s reveals some interesting similarities and also some distinct differences in the pursuit of happiness through freedom. Rhetoric used by Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy during their time in office, declare their support of the Declaration and Constitution. President Lincoln, in the Emancipation Proclamation, declares that "persons held as slaves...shall be...forever free" (Lincoln). In the 1960s, John F. Kennedy referred to "freedom” and "human rights" throughout his inaugural address. In each era, the citizens heard promises of freedom and they were hopeful because it was within reach. It wasn’t only the Presidents who spoke of freedom and the Constitution. The citizens, themselves, were requesting that their rights be upheld. In the "Petition for Freedom to the Massachusetts Legislature, 1777", the Negroes were appealing to the court that they "be Restored to the Enjoyments of that which is the Natural Right of all men." (Natural and Inalienable…) The petitioners believed upholding their rights would...
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...you. Everyone has courage that lives inside of them, but not everyone let's it free. Abraham Lincoln was full of courage throughout his whole life. Lincoln went from being illiterate as a child to becoming one of the most revolutionist presidents in history. The one thing that made Lincoln so powerful was that he was filled with determination and courage. Courage is something that we all can acquire if we have a reason to be motivated. Lincoln once said “ It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong.” and he is completely right. Fears are what will hold you back from actually showing courage when it needs to be shown. First, courage is not something you are born with. Not one person that has shown acts of courage has just woke up one day and been full of courage. Lincoln was illiterate when he was a boy, but with determination he taught himself to read and write. Lincoln was born and raised in a log cabin on his family's farm. Lincoln's father wanted Lincoln to stop reading all the time, but Lincoln did not want to stop his fascination with reading. To settle the dispute Lincoln and his father decided to make a compromise. The compromise between the two was that Lincoln could keep reading, but he had to get his farm work done first. To be able to accomplish this task Lincoln would have to read at night by candle light after a long day filled with hard labor. Lincoln kept motivating himself and he was studying to become a lawyer before he became president...
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...The Union War “Without an appreciation of why loyal citizens believed a Union that guaranteed democratic self-government was worth great sacrifice, no accurate understanding of the Civil War era was possible” (Gallagher). I agree with this statement by Gallagher because if it wasn’t for the decisions and executions of the Union I am not sure if I would be living in a democratic, free society today. In The Union War, Gallagher “offers a companion volume that extends his manifesto against hindsight, what Gallagher calls the ‘Appomattox syndrome,’ to histories of the Union” (Gallagher, 79). According to Gallagher, researchers who work backward from emancipation and Reconstruction have expanded northern devotion to race, slavery, and abolition while complicating loyal Americans’ major war aim, the Union. The above quote stated by Gary Gallagher is one of the main causes as to why the North won the Civil War because with the joining of citizens who wanted to fight for their democratic government, it gave the Union more soldiers that wanted to fight than the Confederates. They won the Civil War simply because they had more people. The North won the Civil War they were on the right side of human ethical issues. They had their best interest in helping the morals of humans and this alone helps citizens be able to trust the Union’s tendencies and this can also make a citizen loyal. The North clearly had more men to fight for them and there were more people that wanted to end slavery,...
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...Unit IV: Continuing Sectionalism, Civil War, And Reconstruction. 1853 To 1877 1. Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854 – A Bill introduced by Steven Douglas to organize the Nebraska territory. He hoped to build a transcontinental railroad making Chicago the terminus, but they could not do this until the Indians were cleared away and the land was in control. Nebraska would presumably become a free state due to the Missouri Compromise but to please the South Douglas argued that the territories should be left open to popular sovereignty. Douglas pushed for the bill and won, therefore the Missouri Compromise was repealed and the North was in an uproar. 2. Birth of the Republican Party- Made up of former Free Soilers, Conscience Whigs, and “Anti-Nebraska” Democrats. Presented themselves as the party of freedom though they were not abolitionist, but they believed that slavery be kept out of the territories. The Republican Party appealed too many to voters who not only disagreed with slavery but also wanted to keep slavery out of their states. 3. Stephan A. Douglas- Known as the “Little Giant,” he was the most prominent spokesman of the Young American movement. He held a series of state offices before being elected for the United States Senate at the age of 29. Douglas wanted to get on with the development of the nation; to build railroads, acquire new territory, and expand trade. This made him suggest and push for the Kansas-Nebraska Act. 4. Popular Sovereignty- Also known as...
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...political and civil equality for blacks and denial for the political rights of whites. 1865-1877 in the U.S. history, was a period of readjustment following the civil war. The defeated south was ruined, physical destruction brought upon by the invading union forces were great, and the old social economic order founded on slavery had collapsed with nothing to replace it. There were 11 confederate states that needed to be restored to their positions in the union. Radical Republican leaders argued that slavery and the slave power had to be permanently destroyed, and all forms of confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Before the end of the war, President Lincoln began the task of restoration. “Lincoln was motivated with a desire to build a strong republican party in the south and to end the bitterness developed by the war.” Lincoln issued a proclamation on December 8, 1863 of amnesty and reconstruction for those areas of the...
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...The American Civil War In my final project I would like to try to describe the American Civil War. I chose this topic, because I think there are still disparities between the South and the North. I would like to learn something more about it. I would also like to discuss racial problems. In my opinion it is interesting to show a different perspective of slavery during the war and African American’s status these days. This project should also remind people of what the American Civil War was about. The Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Causes o the war 3. Abolitionism 4. The war 5. Characteristics and results of the war 6. Reconstruction period 1. Introduction The American Civil war was an armed conflict that took place between the States of the Union (today's founding states of the USA) and the Confederation of States (11 states that wanted to secede from the Union). The war lasted from 1861 – 1865. This war is also known as the North versus the South. 2. Causes of the war • Difference between the North and the South The North - industry, coal mining and processing iron, financial, more people, slavery was prohibited The South – agriculture, cultivation of tobacco, cotton and sugar cane, backward industry, legal slavery • Slavery Slavery was the most obvious reason for the war. The northern states wanted to ban slavery throughout the USA, while the southern states feared, that it would destroy their economy. The balance between "free states"...
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...was the start of the south being emotional, that means they will gain more emotion and will be more violent. The election of 1860 was about Abraham Lincoln being president in Washington D.C and other people such as Stephen Douglas, John Bell, and John Breckinridge. Abraham Lincoln was a republican, Stephen Douglas was Northern democrat, John Breckinridge was a Southern democrat, and John Bell was from the constitutional Union party. Southern states threaten to secede because they feared the Union would abolish slavery, which meant no more slaves for the South. In the North it was Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas and in the South was John Bell vs. John Breckinridge. The winner was Abraham Lincoln, in December 1860 South Carolina secedes from the Union then in February 1860 Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida joined South Carolina in seceding the Union. The election of 1860 was the most responsible for the civil war and up to emotions which leads to violence. The reaction of the North of the election of 1860 was constitutional but the reaction of the South was unfair and unconstitutional. Both sides had people from their states to be president and had separate campaigns for their side to win. In the North they wanted Lincoln to win but on the other hand the South didn’t want Lincoln to be president. The secession of Southern states caused the beginning of...
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...Rudolph Thomas (Name of Subject) (Name of Professor) Lincoln: A Man Worthy of Recognition Looking back to the history of America, I can say that slavery had imbedded a great impact on it. It’s in the mid-19th century when slavery ruined the America’s growing nation. People thought that it will be abolished when the constitution is written in 1787. But then, the invention of cotton gin by Eli Whitney gave slavery a spotlight in the southern states while it’s gradually obliterated in the northern states. Because of this, the USA had been divided into two—the “free states” and “slaved states”. This issue of slavery caused lots of notable moments in the history of America; from the Missouri Compromise to Compromise of 1850; from the violent incident called ‘Bleeding Kansas’ to the publishing of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom Cabin; and of course, the Civil War. (Lambert, 2012) What if it didn’t end in the 19th century? A greater chaos might have been made. This issue on slavery made Abraham Lincoln, for me, the bravest president of America. Abraham Lincoln is 16th president of the USA. He’s a lawyer with no formal education and a republican. He’s the American greatest leader and most eloquent in speeches among all other presidents. For me, his eloquence showed his brevity as he’s not afraid of whatever it will lead him to. Reading his famous quotes, I can say that America can still be inspired by his words. Some other interesting facts about him are he being the tallest...
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...be concerned with a moment or experience in the past? What difference do these defining leadership moments in our past make anyway? Defining leadership moments are also moments or experiences where your words, behaviors or decisions - how you handle yourself in a given situation - creates an impression that helps to define your leadership in the minds of others. How you are distinguished by others as a result of these defining leadership moments contributes to your leadership legacy in action. It is the impact your actions have on others that create the distinctions that contribute to your leadership legacy. Defining Leadership Moment | Leader / Event | Crossing the Delaware River | George Washington | Gettysburg Address | Abraham Lincoln: “Four score and seven years ago...” | Apollo 13 Space Mission | “Failure is not an option.” | First Person To Walk On Moon | Neil Armstrong: “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.” | Kennedy Presidential Speech | John Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”...
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...Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809. His parents are Thomas and Nancy Lincoln, giving birth to their second child in Hardin, Kentucky. The 16th President of the United States; he is also known as honest Abe, standing at 6 foot 4 inches making him the tallest president in history skinny body and a huge mustache. The President was only 56 years old when, the U.S. experiences a sad death the assassination of Lincoln in April 1865. The U.S. was lost with words and a sad ending. Leaving his Son Robert, tell this day Lincoln has no living decedents. Thomas and Nancy Lincoln gave birth to their second child naming him Abraham Lincoln in Hardin County, Kentucky. Abraham’s father Thomas Lincoln was from a town in Virginia and his mother is the daughter of Lucy Hanks; Nancy is from Mineral County, West Virginia, then part of Virginia. Abe’s parents bought and sold farms for a living which included the Sinking Spring Farm where his was born and the family attended a separate Baptist church. The church had high morals that were against alcohol, dancing, and slavery. Thomas was successful and rich then in 1816 he lost it including his land due to faulty property titles according to the courts cases. That took a hard toll of their families’ life; they were living in different places for a period of time, they would move to a new place to start a new life. Growing up Lincoln’s family was poor forcing them to move to the north to a non-slave territory in a...
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...After the civil war, the Union and the Southern states were reconstructed and this time period is known as Radical Reconstruction. This Radical Reconstruction created a feeling of resentment among the Southerners for the Republican Party as they blamed Republican for their defeat. During this radical reconstruction period, President Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act, which was not liked by the Southerners. Moreover, President Johnson also vetoed the Freedman’s Bureau Bill proposed by the Congress. The amended version was passed later on and this created an animosity among the public for the President Johnson as well as for the Republican Party (History.com). Most of the actions taken during this period went against the people of the South, thereby generating a negative feeling for the president and the Republican Party. The ultimate defeat of the Southerners made them so hostile and caused the extreme reaction of not voting to Republican Party. Historical Turning Points (1865-1900) Reconstruction was the period shortly after the Civil War which involved the reconstruction of the Union and the Southern states. This was a crucial era for America as there were several turning points during this period. The two historical turning points that I found highly important are the right to vote for the African Americans, and granting freedom to the slaves. The African Americans faced severe discrimination for voting rights and granting this right proved to be a turning point in the...
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...with racial pride and personal dignity. The structure of the poem lists the rivers in order of which historical moments happened throughout history. Robina Winbush says, Hughes writes to remind a people who had been enslaved that their history began long before 1619,when their ancestors who had been snatched from their homelands, survived the horrors of the Middle Passage and were brought in chains to the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Brazil (Winbush). The most important part of the poem is when Hughes says: “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.” (Hughes, 5-10) He goes through each river, each one representing a different part of African American experiences throughout history. The first river, “I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young,” (Hughes, 5) symbolizes the beginning of the world’s civilization. This was a time before racial issues and slavery, when the world was young. The next river he speaks about is the Congo, “I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep” (Hughes, 6). This symbolizes the normal activities that black men were expected to do. The Congo River represents natural...
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...The black community in America has faced a lot of hardships since they came in as slaves to work in the plantations of the whites. They have had numerous champions from Marcus Garvey to Malcolm X to Martin Luther King Jr. all propagating a world where the black man had as many rights as their white counterpart (Wright, 2006). Many attempts have been made in history some like the Universal Negro Improvement Association faced challenges from among the black community itself, especially the members of the middle class who viewed the motives of Garvey with skepticism as in the past such movements had been used for selfish goals (Cronon, 1955). The black community faced a lot of segregation from the white community who viewed them as lesser humans and did not, therefore, want to mix with them. Even in public schools, black children were unwanted. In 1954, for example, the ruling in Brown vs. Board of education held that it was contrary to constitutional rights to discriminate other people. This meant that black children had every right to attend public school. This was in 1954. In 1964, however, there was a milestone. This was the passing of the Civil Rights Act 1964 (Wright, 2006). It was signed into law by then president Lyndon John in the full view of Martin Luther King Jr. and fellow civil rights campaigners (Skog, 2007). This law recognized the equality of women in employment and allowed them to hold jobs. It also allowed the Attorney General to sue anyone who did not uphold...
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...one name, one man who stands above all the rest. Abraham Lincoln has come to define the American experience. His beginnings as a poor farmer in Kentucky to his rise in politics to his Presidency, his story fascinates everyone who reads and studies it. Abraham Lincoln is the epitome of what America is. He is Americas most cherished and beloved President and he may be the most well known American President in the world. Despite all the praise bestowed upon Abraham Lincoln there are those who do not buy into the ‘official’ Lincoln legacy. A small, but growing group of Lincoln detractors claim that Lincoln was not the father of freedom and liberty, the great emancipator and the savior of the union; they see Lincoln as a diabolical dictator. A man who took advantage of America in its darkest hour, a man who had no respect for the Constitution, he instead sought to destroy and undermine it every chance he got. Abraham Lincoln was President during America’s darkest hour; he saved the union and kept the country together. Lincoln was justified in the actions he took, despite attempts to paint Lincoln as a tyrannical dictator there is no question that Lincoln’s status as America’s greatest President is deserved and true. During his Presidency Lincoln met fierce opposition. This is not uncommon among Presidents; they are commonly held in higher regard after they leave office than when they are in office. However, the opposition Lincoln met tended to be intense and passionate. His policies...
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