The Union Blockade Essays - Blockades, Union Blockade,

The Union Blockade THE HAPLESS ANACONDA: UNION BLOCKADE 1861-1865 With the fall of Fort Sumter on the 13th of April, 1861, America entered the most costly and grueling war it has ever experienced. The Union's original military strategy was designed by the aging General Winfield Scott, who recognized that naval strategy could play a crucial role and that instead of being able to strike down the Confederacy with a quick lethal blow, it was more likely to be a long and grinding war. In his Anaconda plan, he proposed a naval blockade of the Confederate ports to isolate the Confederacy and choke its economy and supply lines. This plan was followed when Lincoln proclaimed the naval blockade on April 19, 1861. While some historians claim the blockade was one of the major causes of the collapse of the Confederacy, others contend that it was hopelessly ineffective. Overall, in terms of closing off ports, capturing ships, and stopping supply lines, the blockade was ineffective. The very concept of closing off shipping on a 3,600 mile coast studded with inlets and inner channels with a numerically insignificant navy was a highly unrealistic goal and the Union could not accomplish it. For the first few years, there was virtually no blockade, and the blockade runners entered and cleared Southern ports with minimal risks. Only very late in the war was it actually more effectively enforced, but by that time the war had basically been decided. Blockade-running was an extremely profitable trade and lured many enterprising businessmen and ship captains. The Confederacy got most of its military supplies through the blockade. The failure of the Confederacy to supply its armies should not be credited to the Union blockade, but to other factors that did not allow the Confederacy to take full advantage of its blockade-runners. When the blockade was proclaimed, the U.S. Navy was virtually nonexistent. The Navy had a grand total of 90 vessels, 42 of them commissioned for active service, and only 24 of them steamers. By the end of 1861, 79 steamers had been purchased along with 58 sailing boats (which were worthless unless the blockade-runners were also sailing ships). The blockading force, although it had grown quickly, was still grossly inadequate. Only 160 vessels patrolled the blockade and only a small proportion of them were capable naval vessels.[1] According to Professor Frank Owsley, author of King Cotton Diplomacy, this fleet was so poor that Had the Merrimac got loose among these boats, it could have sunk every one ad libitum [sic].[2] Northeastern newspapers of the time harshly criticized the blockade: the New York Herald called Gideon Welles, Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy, a moron, the New York Tribune published its view that the blockade was a laughing stock, and the Philadelphia Enquirer state d that there was no blockade at all.[3] Most Northern papers can be trusted on this subject because they had special correspondents at blockade-running bases. The effectiveness of the blockade was actually more than just a military and economic matter; it had legal and political implications as well. In the Declaration of Paris in 1856, international law stated that a blockade had to be: formally proclaimed, promptly established, enforced, and, most importantly, effective, to be legal and thus be respected abroad. On August 20, 1861, Confederate agents John Slidell and James Mason, after the Trent affair, tried to convince Europe that it was a paper blockade by showing figures that up to then more than 400 vessels had run the blockade. At the end of the year, James Mason tried again, and together with William Lindsay, a prominent British shipbuilder and Member of Parliament, presented figures that in 1861, 500 to 700 vessels had run the blockade.[4] However, Lord John Russell, the British foreign secretary, recognized the blockade as legal in February of 1862, not because Britain believed the blockade was effective, but because she didn't want to get involved in the war. Britain's recognition did not imply that she refused to have anything to do with blockade-running. On the contrary, Britain was glad to profit from the business opportunity, and British companies owned and controlled a large share of the blockade-runners. The British no doubt realized the blockade's ineffectiveness when, in

Personal Response to Wilfred Owen Essay Example

Personal Response to Wilfred Owen Essay Example Personal Response to Wilfred Owen Essay Personal Response to Wilfred Owen Essay An Idea of the scenery and surroundings Is extra given by Dim, through the misty panes and think green light this Is a use of visual Imagery to aid the reader in an understanding better of what is happening. The 3rd stanza begins to explain about this mans nightmares. He keeps on seeing a certain man, dying within the gas. The man is haunting him in his nightmares. In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. These two nines are on their own in the poem structure. This is because they symbolize thought, the poets personal feelings, it is unique to the poet in the way of how he reacts and how the experience affected him. This experience leaves the soldier to feel guilty because the man in his nightmares is there, plunging at him of help of some kind but he Is unable to do anything. The 4th stanza speaks out to the people whom may think that war Is glorious, those who believe In heroism and also speaks to the reader Like a friend. In directing to that particular audience he also presents further thoughts of is own. He is asking those who think war is glorious if they would still feel the same way if they had seen a man dying inevitably in a gas cloud. And if they were unable to do anything to help. The poet is asking that they do not carry on this belief, of war as a heroic thing, to children of younger generations. Do not make them feel too, that war is great and wonderful in any way. There is contrast here also with the imagery of the man dying in gas and yet others who feel this aspect is glorious. The imagery in Dulcet is stronger than that of Anthem, honorable to die for your country. The old lie: Dulcet et decorum est. Pro patria moor. . Both poems seem to give ideas of war In no way being honorable to fight for your country but rather sinful and many comparisons are made within the poems that would make the reader think of war being something similar to a hell or the likes. In both poems Onomatopoeia and alliteration are made of good use, Owen uses a lot of metaphors and similes to help explain comparisons, he seemed to make a lot of comparisons, a good technique to nave ten reader twinkling AT events Ana occurrences Tanat are unappealing In ten poems. The mood in the poems is very similar, it is basically a depressive, torturous mood, an impression of gloominess is left on the reader as it contradicts usual beliefs about war this shows the poem to be quite rebellious but in its own right. There is no real difference between the poem from the perspective of mood, Anthem tries to explain cruelty in death on the battle ground although this bitter mood calming toward the end and Dulcet that it is not honorable to die for your country, but with the strong use of contrast and imagery this is more so bitter and cruel throughout. The structure of Anthem for Doomed Youth follows a two line rhyming pattern and seems to follow a slow pace which helps in approaching its solemn mood. This also gives a sense of movement that can be followed in the mind of the reader. Dulcet Et Decorum Est is written in a moderate pace, it seems to unfold almost similar to a story as it takes you bit by bit through occurring events. There are lines that seem to end abruptly, stopping Just like that which gives a sense of urgency and following on in the second stanza this technique is used to show a sense of panic. Dulcet seems very thoughtful and the way it unfolds like a story is undoubtedly deliberate to in some way assist the solemn mood of the poem and final message that it is not beautiful to die for your country. The underlying differences between these two poems is Dulcet is much more descriptive, real and violent. There is a strong sense of anger and bitterness throughout Dulcet. One of Wilfred Owens poem is named Anthem for Doomed Youth. An anthem is a religious or patriotic song, something usually sung by a choir. This immediately suggests that the poem is serious, patriotic. The doomed youth mentioned in the title refers to the young generation of men and soldiers whom have signed up to war only to be giving their lives away. The poem focuses on the aspect of Youth dying so in vain. The poem puts forth a question of how the soldiers who are dying will be mourned? For their deaths on the battle field there is no proper funeral service of sorts. No bells to ring them off into heaven. What passing bells for these who die as cattle? There are a number of comments within the poem that would seem to relate o a mourning ritual or funeral ceremony of sorts being the harsh anger of guns and aggressive violence on the battle field. Owen makes good use of Onomatopoeia. Only the cluttering rifles rapid rattle It explains that as they die and pass from the earth all that there is to mourn them and say farewell is the continuing battle between men and use of weaponry. Only the monstrous anger of the guns. References from the poem, things like the guns, are replacing parts of an ordinary funeral service. The guns for example, replacing the bells that would sound at a normal funeral service, he prayers that would ordinarily be heard are replaced by rifles and the choir by wailing shells. The poem is quite bitter and sad through the first part, the sadness can be seen here and bugles calling for them from sad shires this is the last sad sound heard. It refers to the soldiers and the countries that each of them come from, to their regiment. As the poem continues it gives a lasting impression that war is, in fact, not heroic nor brave but rather a cruelty and of a sadistic nature. I think that What candles may be held to speed them all? Is asking in a way, Who or what will give prayer to their spirits after they have died so that they may find rest within nave?. I en poem overall makes war out to De a SSL Ana a Turned Tort all Tanat nave to endure it, it gives an impression of there being no heroes in war and no victory neither and focuses mainly on how they will find peace in their death on the battle ground. The Anthem however is more related to the aftermath of war, more abstract to a point of trailing on thoughts rather than reality, using evocative language. There is a to of poetical devices used to enhance these poems. Repetition, Gas, gas! similes, half-rhymes, fumbling and stumbling. assonance and alliteration. The way in which the language, imagery and contrasting is brought together with more simple phrases and language. The effect of using colloquialisms. quick boys! an ecstasy of fumbling A contrast between the reality of war and peoples real experiences In these two poems, Wilfred Owen describes his dislike for war because of the horrible things he had seen, the friends that he had lost, and the suffering he had went through. These are two of Wilfred Owens most famous poems because he talks about the tragedy that brings in war and he describes it, making these poems anti- war. The war that Wilfred Owen was in, affected his poetry because he met Swanson who helped and edited his poems and also the war was a big thing because his poems would be nothing without the war and the imagery he puts into the poems. The imagery he puts into the poems because he experienced it first hand, it draws the readers in, to show the gruesomeness of war. The poems that Wilfred Owen wrote were affect by war and his friend Swanson.

Research Paper #2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research Paper #2 - Coursework Example New media platforms such as social media, blogs, digital newspapers, wikis, and websites are becoming more common and widely used in the media industry. Although old media is still trying to remain relevant, new media is exerting increasing pressure on media companies to abandon their traditional media for the new media. According to Dunlop (Para 1), new media is transforming old media by attacking its credibility. This is just one way in which new media is transforming traditional media. With specific regard to print media including newspapers and magazines, the effect is more pronounced. The presence of new media such as blogs, websites, wikis, and social media is rendering the traditional print media less relevant. For instance, even before media companies can print newspapers and magazines with the latest news, the news will have already been featured in the new media platforms. Therefore, by the time the print newspapers and magazines are released, the public has already gotten the news. However, there is still controversy regarding the effect of new media on old media. According to Bernstein (261), despite the new challenges posed by new media, traditional media is not about to be gone soon. This could be right. Currently, traditional media is still relevant. People are still reading print magazines and newspapers. In fact, according to Anderson (Para 1), revenues from digital platforms only account for a small fraction of the total advertising revenues compared to what print newspapers fetch. This shows that traditional print media is still relevant in the digital era. Moreover, the audience for traditional print media has not vanished completely. Although the audience has shrunk significantly, there is still a sizeable audience comprising mainly of the old generations that are not so used to the new media platforms. Even with this raging debate, it is clearly evident that many

Common core Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Common core - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the Common core standard initiative conflicts the teachers instructional training that the teachers received during their teaching preparation training. This makes it difficult for the teachers to adjust to the new instructional requirement under the Common core standard (Sewall, 2014). Thus, this discussion seeks to assess the dangers that the Common core standard of education presents to children. The issue was selected because it is a nationwide concern for all educational stakeholders; parents, teachers, students and the employers have issues related to the overall impact of the introduction of the Common core standard on the high school graduate abilities and skills to cope with the requirements of the outside world (Exstrom & Thatcher, 2014). The discussion will first define the Common core standard problem, and then venture into the analysis of the available literature and studies that have explored the need, justification, benefits and dangers posed by the educational initiative to the students. Finally, the discussion will conclude with giving the suggestion for improvement. However, it can easily be concluded that the Common core standard poses some educational danger to school children. The need to adapt to the global working environment cannot be ignored at this time and age where globalization has made it essential for employment preparation and training to be shaped such that it does not only suit the local environment, but also the global working environment (Rycik, 2014). Thus, the establishment of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was a necessary move towards aligning the elementary and the high school education in the United States to match with the college education and the work expectations of the top performing countries globally (Boslaugh, 2014). Thus, the students were required to undergo the learning and

The four agreements by don miguel ruiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The four agreements by don miguel ruiz - Essay Example Dreams signify freedom. But our dreams are hardly unfettered, they are bound by the collective dreams of the family, country and religion and in the end most of us are domesticated like the animals we know, doing a lot of activities, without quite knowing why we are doing it. The general Theme of the Book is that most of the Truths in life are self evident and simple. We are unable to get to them because we create chaos and muddy the picture. Most of the solutions to various problems are within us. Also most of the problems are created by us too. The simple underlying fact of the book is that if we can make some simple but very substantive agreements with ourselves, we most certainly be more enlightened and bring happiness to ourselves and others. In this first of agreements, the focus is on one thing. It is one's word. Miguel Ruiz shows us that it is something which is very powerful and cannot be trifled with. The word is more than just an utterance. Indeed Bible has put the Word before everything1. Of course there it meant the eternal word of God. But even our words though at a lot lower level , still have a tremendous amount of power. It is who you are and what you feel. It is how you impact this world. Words have the power to create great good as it can create great evil. Miguel uses Hitler's rise as an example of how somebody's words caused not only to his country but to the World. Miguel likens the spoken word to a spell. And indeed words have the innate power to become self fulfilling prophecies. What one says, many times one believes, but it is more than that. The people who listen to us and respect us believe us when we say something. A word said in anger or frustration can have a life long impact on a child. But wha t does impeccability mean. Though it literally translates as being without sin, what Miguel means by it is word said without judgment and without anger. And the judgment has to be said aside not just for others but for oneself too. Miguel does say that even if caustic words are said about others by you, you are only reflecting on yourself. Though you cause damage to others by use of such words, you cause similar if not more damage to yourself. By doing that. Words are never spoken in vacuum. Indeed if you say a word in anger, they most likely will respond back with a word of anger. But a word of love and kindness will get back the same response. Miguel uses a phrase over here called "emotional poison". It is difficult not to notice, how drained we are after an argument or after loosing our temper, and there is an opposite feeling after pleasant words full of love and kindness have been uttered. By an extension of this gossiping is the vilest form of poison. It obviously hurts its in tended target, but if you are a part of it, it can cause intense damage to you, even if it is totally un true. Poison once mixed in water will mix through and everybody who drinks it will suffer from it. Miguel likens gossip to a computer virus, a small entity but with a potential of very large damage. What words you speak create a fertile environment for similar thoughts in your mind. A person constantly using impeccable words will always have a mind free of emotional poison. The Second Agreement Don't Take Anything Personally The second agreement presents a very interesting argument. Do not take anything personally. Indeed, even if somebody puts

Victim Likelihood Age

Victim Likelihood Age Introduction: Studies indicate that the aged are more vulnerable to criminal activities, as compared to other age groups. This is because these people are socially isolated, always tend to live in rural areas, and have predictable behavioral patterns. The aged are also mentally and physically weak, and this is a great contribution to their visibility, making them vulnerable to crime (Fisher and Lab, 2010). Other scholars further denote that the elderly are vulnerable to crime, in circumstance when they leave their homes, and as a result, they are exposed to people who have a criminal intention. Contrary to the belief of many people, the aged are people who are least victimized when it comes to index crimes, as compared to other age groups (Rothman, 2000). However, the aged are always vulnerable to robbery, fraud, and purse snatching. On the other hand, older people, who are under the care of home facilities, are vulnerable to emotional and physical abuse (Payne, 2000). This is because family members might fail to visit them occasionally, or the staff of home care organizations might defraud them of their belongings. One of the major problems that old people suffer from is fear of crime. This problem is accelerated because of the various criminal reporting by the media, which always makes older people to have a perception that there exists higher rates of crime, while in the real sense, the crime rates are low (Fisher and Lab, 2010). Due to these perceptions in crime rates, and fear of crime amongst the elderly, the government is forced to fund studies on victimization, victim services, and prevention programs. Most prevention programs that the government always funds, includes neighborhood watches, public security education, external lighting, community policing, and home security services (Rothman, 2000). Vulnerability of the aged People: Physical Crime: Because of a decrease in physical ability, and an increase in physical frailty, the aged are always vulnerable to physical injuries (Fisher and Lab, 2010). It is based on this fact that the aged are vulnerable to the crime of purse snatching. The aged will be unable to follow after the purse snatcher, who is most likely to be a young person. This is because, the purse snatcher might have more speed, as compared to the aged, and chances are high that the aged might get injured in case they resist the robbery attempt, and this is mainly because they do not have the strength to fight back (Fisher and Lab, 2010). Other physical crimes that the elderly are vulnerable to includes, Rape Murder Home robbery/burglary Fraud or scams. Financial Crime The aged are always vulnerable to financial crimes, such as theft of their financial products. This normally occurs by people that the aged trust, or close family members. Other may be forced to create and sign a will, against their expectations and desires. The aged are vulnerable to these crimes, because they normally survive on a fixed income, which always does not reflect the rising standards of living (Fisher and Lab, 2010). Due to poor vision also, the aged are unable to read or write, and on this basis, they may rely on a close relative or friend, who might defraud them, in case they bare writing a will, a cheque, or seeking to buy a product whose value they are unaware of (Payne, 2000). Psychological Crime The aged are always vulnerable to abuses from those people who are in charge of caring for them (Payne, 2000). The aged are vulnerable to these abuses because they are always weak, and do not have money. The aged are also vulnerable to these abuses, because they are dependent on family members for financial and physical support. This dependency makes them vulnerable to these abuses (Payne, 2000). It is important to understand that statistics prove that the aged are always emotionally abused by their family members. It is important to denote that physical abuses will always lead to stress and depression amongst the elderly (Rothman, 2000). This is because they are unable to contain emotional and physical abuses, and hence return their mentality and psychology to a pre-stress level. Programs of protecting the aged: The Triad Program: The Triad program began in 1987, when senior members of the police force, national sheriffs, and retired members of the American association came together for purposes of discussing methods and means of preventing crime (Payne, 2000). A triad is formed, when the police department in a given locality agrees to cooperate with the elderly in combating and preventing the victimization of the aged population in the given locality. These three groups are engaged in sharing resources, and ideas that would help remove the fears of the elderly. They also provide training programs that help the elderly to acquire skills that can help them gain protection from criminals, and those seeking to exploit them (Payne, 2000). On this basis, a Triad program encompasses the police, the department of the sheriff, and the association of retired individuals (Rothman, 2000). It is important to denote that the main intention of the Triad system is to prevent crime, and offer assistance to the victims of crime, who are the aged. Community Awareness Programs Community awareness programs are aimed at creating a mutual relationship between law enforcement agencies and the surrounding communities. Under these programs, the community is responsible for providing information to law enforcement agencies, regarding any criminal activity that occurs within the locality (Fisher and Lab, 2010). The criminal activity under consideration is not only limited to a crime against the aged population. Law enforcement agencies on the other hand will train members of the community on how to protect themselves, against criminals. Community policing is under these programs, and this is because the police and the members of the community cooperate in crime prevention strategies (Fisher and Lab, 2010). It is also important to denote that the American Federal government has established a criterion whereby one police officer, is supposed to serve five hundred people. This is a criterion that most state governments meet, and hence it helps in effectively preventing crime, as well as apprehending people responsible for committing crimes against the aged (Rothman, 2000). Other Programs: Establishing neighborhood watches: This involves creating neighborhood groups, responsible for looking after the community, and reporting any signs of crime within the community (Fisher and Lab, 2010). Home Security Programs. Training the elderly on how to make their homes secure, and the measures they need to undertake for purposes of becoming secure. Vial for life programs: This is a program aimed at taking crucial information to emergency medical personnel, regarding the health status of the aged. Scams and Fraud programs: This is a program that informs the aged on the various scams, and frauding techniques. Conclusion: In conclusion, the aged are a very vulnerable group, and they require great protection by law enforcement agencies. These people are always unable to protect themselves, and this is because their physical bodies are always weak. It is important to understand that in as much as the aged are vulnerable to criminal activities, the actual rate of crimes targeting the aged is smaller as compared to the actual rates of crime targeting other age groups. However, despite a low crime rate targeting this age group, it is important for policy formulators to create a system that will effectively prevent crimes against the aged, and at the same time successfully prosecute criminals who are accused of committing crimes against these people. However, to achieve success in this issue, there is a need of the entire society involved in community policing, and collaborating with the police to identify criminals who pose a threat to the aged. References: Fisher, B., Lab, S. P. (2010). Encyclopedia of victimology and crime prevention. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications. Payne, B. K. (2000). Crime and elder abuse: an integrated perspective. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, Publish Rothman, M. B. (2000). Elders, crime, and the criminal justice system myth, perceptions, and reality in the 21st century. New York: Springer Pub..

Identity in Gertrude Steins The Making of Americans Essay -- Gertrude

Identity in Gertrude Stein's The Making of Americans Throughout her career, Gertrude Stein was fascinated by the possibility of revolution in the sense of "a complete or drastic change," especially in relation to her ideas of identity and agency. But critics disagree about her conclusions. For example, Bruce Goebel sees her early texts as "embrac[ing a] deterministic attitude about the formation of identity" (238) that conceives of identity as locked within historical and biological contexts. At the other extreme, many critics such as Caren Kaplan locate Stein's work within the context of expatriate modernism and so see it within the discourses which "celebrat[e] the rootless traveler" (7), cut loose from nation and history and thus free to create a self of her own choosing. I believe this contradiction arises because Stein's texts are themselves often contradictory, with one passage exploring the inescapable weight of history and heredity on her characters, while the next admires her characters' capacity to resist cultural prescriptio ns, to exercise agency, to transform themselves, to be "singular." Identity in many Stein texts, especially in The Making of Americans, is, then, a negotiation between cultural prescriptions, biological and historical determinants on the one hand and self-definition, change and agency on the other. In this sense, Stein's work anticipates Foucault's later theories of identity in which he explores possibilities for "freedom" or agency. In "The Ethic of Care for the Self as a Practice of Freedom" Foucault begins to define what he calls "the practices of the self": I am interested . . . in the way in which the subject constitutes himself in an active fashion, by the practices of the self, these ... ...ad to Die': The Problem of Mortality in Gertrude Stein's The Geographical History of America." Philological Quarterly 70.2 (1991): 237-252. Hovey, Jaime. "Sapphic Primitivism in Gertrude Stein's Q.E.D." Modern Fiction Studies 42.3 (1996): 547-568. Kaplan, Caren. Questions of Travel: Postmodern Discourses of Displacement. Durham: Duke UP, 1996. Spencer, Benjamin. "Gertrude Stein: Non-Expatriate." Literature and Ideas in America. Robert Falk, ed., Ohio UP, 1975. Stein, Gertrude. "The Gradual Making of The Making of Americans." Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein. New York: Vintage, 1990. -----. The Making of Americans: Being a History of a Family's Progress. Normal: Dalkey Archive Press, 1995. -----. Narration. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1935. Wald, Patricia. Constituting Americans: Cultural Anxiety and Narrative Form. Durham: Duke UP, 1995.