Early American History Up To 1865

Early American History Up To 1865 Free Online Research Papers In the early 1600’s John Smith led an expedition to the new world accompanied by gentlemen from his homeland in order to establish a new settlement called Jamestown. They came ill prepared and did not have very many tools to guarantee their success, so when they first arrived their task at hand proved to be very difficult. Aside from not having the necessary means for survival, the new settlers we constantly under attack or at constant odds with the Indians who inhabited the land when they arrived. The Algonquian Indians were headed by a fierce leader who was feared by his followers as well as some of the new immigrants to the country; his name was Powhatan. Chief Powhatan was the type of chief that could make his subordinates tremble with just one look of disapproval. He was a fierce warrior and for decades, helped the Indians maintain sovereignty over their land. His successor and half brother Opechancanough took over the task of being the leader of the Algonquian people in the event on Chief Powhatan’s untimely death. He was also a great warrior and was actually responsible for taking John Smith captive in 1608 and bringing him before the chief for judgment. This is when it is said in history that the chief’s daughter Pocahontas intervened on his behalf. Her marriage to John Rolfe brought a period of peace to Jamestown which ended abruptly when chief Powhatan died in 1618. After the Indian Massacre in 1622, Chief Opechancanough gave up on peace with the settlers and instead resorted to force to regain their power in the land. They lost the fight ultimately and the chief was shot in the back by a solider who was guardin g him. Before Chief Opechancanough was killed, however, there was another significant war going on with other Indian settlements. In 1637, an armed conflict between Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies allied with various Indian tribes against the Pequot Indians took place and was called the Pequot War. The Pequot sought to aggressively extend their land and trade control through the Connecticut river valley while other colonies were interested in the same things. The conflict ended with the Pequot people being almost comepletely exterminated. The Virginia colony was not totally free from uprisings after the Indian conflicts. In 1676 there was another unrest that is called Bacon’s Rebellion. It was led by colonist Nathan Bacon and was originated because of the taxes being imposed on citizens for the building of forts. Nathan Bacon was arrested for the disturbance but was released after his followers forced his freedom at gunpoint. Further along in history, an African American inventor named Eli Whitney revolutionized the cotton industry in the South and actually helped the North win the Civil war. He invented the cotton gin and interchangeable parts and opened the door for a wave of technology that would change how the world operated. He was forced into litigation over his patents for his inventions, however, and in turn spent a lot of his profits from the inventions on court and lawyer fees. Stephen F. Austin also a very important figure in the colonization of America especially in the South. He started off running the family business which was a store in their home town but eventually was appointed judge in Arkansas. He began a colony after his father’s death in 1821 in present Fort Bend County and was known for bringing the first settlers to Texas known as the â€Å"first 300†. Our state capitol is named for him. Before we had the constitution as we know it today, there existed another document that governed us. It was called the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. It provided for orderly settlement of the western United States, made new states in the union equal to the old ones, and provided that Congress agreed that everyone had full citizenship and access to all rights. It is also sometimes known as the â€Å"old constitution† . Quock Walker was a slave who helped the state of Massachusetts take part in the first case that actually based the legality of slavery on the 1780 constitution. He sued his slave owner for assault and battery under the grounds that he was a freedman. He won fifty pounds from his case and was able to keep his freedom. Research Papers on Early American History Up To 1865Where Wild and West MeetNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2PETSTEL analysis of IndiaQuebec and CanadaBringing Democracy to AfricaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Biography of Eloy Alfaro, President of Ecuador

Biography of Eloy Alfaro, President of Ecuador Eloy Alfaro Delgado was President of the Republic of Ecuador from 1895 to 1901 and again from 1906 to 1911. Although widely reviled by conservatives at the time, today he is considered by Ecuadorians to be one of their greatest presidents. He accomplished many things during his administrations, most notably the construction of a railroad linking Quito and Guayaquil. Early Life and Politics Eloy Alfaro (June 25, 1842 - January 28, 1912) was born in Montecristi, a small town near the coast of Ecuador. His father was a Spanish businessman and his mother was a native of the Ecuadorian region of Manabà ­. He received a good education and helped his father with his business, occasionally traveling through Central America. From an early age, he was an outspoken liberal, which put him at odds with staunch conservative Catholic President Gabriel Garcà ­a Moreno, who first came to power in 1860. Alfaro participated in a rebellion against Garcà ­a Moreno and went into exile in Panama when it failed. Liberals and Conservatives in the Age of Eloy Alfaro During the Republican era, Ecuador was only one of several Latin American countries torn apart by conflicts between liberals and conservatives, terms which had different meaning back then. In Alfaros era, conservatives like Garcà ­a Moreno favored a strong connection between church and state: the Catholic Church was in charge of weddings, education and other civil duties. Conservatives also favored limited rights, such as only certain people having the right to vote. Liberals like Eloy Alfaro were just the opposite: they wanted universal voting rights and a clear separation of church and state. Liberals also favored freedom of religion. These differences were taken very seriously at the time: the conflict between liberals and conservatives often led to bloody civil wars, such as the 1000 days war in Colombia. Alfaro and the Liberal Struggle In Panama, Alfaro married Ana Paredes Arosemena, a rich heiress: he would use this money to fund his revolution. In 1876, Garcà ­a Moreno was assassinated and Alfaro saw an opportunity: he returned to Ecuador and began a revolt against Ignacio de Veintimilla: he was soon exiled once again. Although Veintimilla was considered a liberal, Alfaro did not trust him and didn’t think his reforms were sufficient. Alfaro returned to take up the fight again in 1883 and was again defeated. The 1895 Liberal Revolution Alfaro did not give up, and in fact, by then, he was known as â€Å"el Viejo Luchador:† â€Å"The Old Fighter.† In 1895 he led what is known as the Liberal Revolution in Ecuador. Alfaro amassed a small army on the coast and marched on the capital: on June 5, 1895, Alfaro deposed President Vicente Lucio Salazar and took control of the nation as dictator. Alfaro swiftly convened a constitutional Assembly which made him President, legitimizing his coup. The Guayaquil - Quito Railroad Alfaro believed that his nation would not prosper until it modernized. His dream was of a railroad which would connect Ecuador’s two main cities: the Capital of Quito in the Andean highlands and the prosperous port of Guayaquil. These cities, although not far apart as the crow flies, were at the time connected by winding trails that took travelers days to navigate. A railroad linking the cities would be a great boost to the nation’s industry and economy. The cities are separated by steep mountains, snowy volcanoes, swift rivers, and deep ravines: building a railroad would be a herculean task. They did it, however, completing the railroad in 1908. Alfaro in and out of Power Eloy Alfaro stepped down briefly from the presidency in 1901 to allow his successor, General Leonidas Plaza, to rule for a term. Alfaro apparently didn’t like Plaza’s successor, Lizardo Garcà ­a, because he once again staged an armed coup, this time to overthrow Garcà ­a in 1905, in spite of the fact that Garcà ­a was also a liberal with ideals nearly identical to those of Alfaro himself. This aggravated liberals (conservatives already hated him) and made it difficult to rule. Alfaro thus had trouble getting his chosen successor, Emilio Estrada, elected in 1910. Death of Eloy Alfaro Alfaro rigged the 1910 elections to get Estrada elected but decided he would never keep hold of power, so he told him to resign. Meanwhile, military leaders overthrew Alfaro, ironically putting Estrada back in power. When Estrada died shortly thereafter, Carlos Freile took over the Presidency. Alfaro’s supporters and generals rebelled and Alfaro was called back from Panama to â€Å"mediate the crisis.† The government sent two generals- one of them, ironically, was Leonidas Plaza- to put down the rebellion and Alfaro was arrested. On January 28, 1912, an angry mob broke into the jail in Quito and shot Alfaro before dragging his body through the streets. Legacy of Eloy Alfaro In spite of his inglorious end at the hands of the people of Quito, Eloy Alfaro is remembered fondly by Ecuadorians as one of their better presidents. His face is on the 50-cent piece and important streets are named for him in nearly every major city. Alfaro was a true believer in the tenets of turn-of-the-century liberalism: the separation between church and state, freedom of religion, progress through industrialization, and more rights for workers and native Ecuadorians. His reforms did much to modernize the country: Ecuador was secularized during his tenure and the state took over education, marriages, deaths, etc. This led to a rise in nationalism as the people began to see themselves as Ecuadorians first and Catholics second. Alfaros most enduring legacy- and the one that most Ecuadorians today associate him with- is the railroad that linked the highlands and the coast. The railroad was a great boon to commerce and industry in the early twentieth century. Although the railroad has fallen into disrepair, parts of it are still intact and today tourists can ride trains through the scenic Ecuadorian Andes. Alfaro also granted rights to the poor and native Ecuadorians. He abolished debt passing from one generation to another and put an end to debtors prisons. Natives, who had traditionally been semi-enslaved in the highland haciendas, were freed, although this had more to do with freeing up the workforce to go where labor was needed and less to do with basic human rights. Alfaro had many weaknesses as well. He was an old-school dictator while in office and firmly believed at all times that only he knew what was right for the nation. His military removal of Lizardo Garcà ­a- who was ideologically indistinguishable from Alfaro- was all about who was in charge, not what was being accomplished, and it turned off many of his supporters. The factionalism among liberal leaders survived Alfaro and continued to plague subsequent presidents, who had to fight Alfaros ideological heirs at every turn. Alfaros time in office was marked by traditional Latin American ills such as political repression, electoral fraud, dictatorship, coup dà ©tats, rewritten constitutions, and regional favoritism. His tendency to take to the field backed by armed supporters every time he suffered a political setback also set a bad precedent for future Ecuadorian politics. His administration also came up short in areas such as voter rights and long-term industrialization. Sources Various Authors. Historia del Ecuador. Barcelona: Lexus Editores, S.A. 2010

A Model for the Allocation of Value in Western and Eastern Art Markets Dissertation

A Model for the Allocation of Value in Western and Eastern Art Markets - Dissertation Example In contrast, Western art generally refers to the European style of artwork, and is less culturally diverse than Eastern artwork and draws less on myth. A significant portion of European art, particularly older art, is connected to the Christian religion, with depictions of Jesus, Mary and of angels. Modern Western artwork is often more abstract. The development of prices for artworks by artists in China can be tracked effectively and accurately using the research methodology proposed for both indigenous Chinese artists represented in local markets and also for global or Western artists imported to collections. This allows the determination of how traditional Eastern artwork fares in the Eastern art market compared to how Western artwork performs in the same market. The economical and sociological systems which drive the operation of the contemporary art market in China can be reviewed on a percentage of GDP or on a per capita basis in respect to the Western markets, allowing direct c omparison between the two. This allows it to be determined whether one form of art is traded more frequently or valued more highly in the Eastern market compared to the Western, indicating differences between the markets. 9 The Assignment of Value 13 For any commodity or service, value must be assigned to it in order for it to be bought and sold in the general market. It is not simple to assign value to art, as its worth comes from a wide variety of sources, and is not always predictable. The question of value is fundamental for art as a discipline and as an object. Art is created not simply because of the desire of the artist to create, but also as a method of communication, or through a desire to earn an income. As a consequence, the meaning of the work is important and... This dissertation outlines art as a large part of culture and tradition worldwide, but the definitions and approaches to art can vary significantly depending on the artist as well as the culture that they derive their inspiration from. In particular, artistic inspiration and art form can be divided into two broad categories, Eastern and Western art. These definitions are based on global location of the style and inspiration for the artist, although the artist themselves may not be from this global area. Western art can be defined as art that is created in the styles that are generally accepted in European countries, although it may be created anywhere in the world. Traditionally, Western art consisted primarily of paintings and sculptures, often of religious icons, although there was the development of other artistic styles such as impressionist and abstract art during the history of Western art. Current Western art also includes styles such as modern art, which is often very abstrac t, and performance art. In contrast, Eastern art is often more traditional and takes greater inspiration from local religion, practices, history, myth and legend. When interpreting art from Eastern cultures, it is important not to do so through the lens of Western art history and values, as this presents a risk of cultural imperialism or bias. The consequence of this may be the marginalization of traditional artistic expression, such as art through handicrafts, folk art, or kitsch, which are often not regarded as art from the traditional Western viewpoint.