Joshua L. Chamberlain in the American Civil War

Joshua L. Chamberlain in the American Civil War Birth Early Life: Born in Brewer, ME on September 8, 1828, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was the son of Joshua Chamberlain and Sarah Dupee Brastow. The oldest of five children, his father desired that he pursue a career in the military while his mother encouraged him to become a preacher. A gifted student, he taught himself Greek and Latin in order to attend Bowdoin College in 1848. While at Bowdoin he met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the wife of Professor Calvin Ellis Stowe, and listened to readings of what would become Uncle Toms Cabin. After graduating in 1852, Chamberlain studied for three years at the Bangor Theological Seminary before returning to Bowdoin to teach. Serving as a professor of rhetoric, Chamberlain taught every subject with the exception of science and math. Personal Life: In 1855, Chamberlain married Frances (Fanny) Caroline Adams (1825-1905). The daughter of local clergyman, Fanny had five children with Chamberlain three of which died in infancy and two, Grace and Harold, which survived to adulthood. Following the end of the Civil War, the Chamberlains relationship became increasingly strained as Joshua had difficulty readjusting to civilian life. This was exacerbated by his election as Governor of Maine in 1866 which necessitated him being away from home for long periods.   Despite these problems, the two reconciled and remained together until her death in 1905. As Fanny aged, her sight deteriorated, leading Chamberlain to become a founding member of the Maine Institution of the Blind in 1905. Entering the Army: With the beginning of the Civil War, Chamberlain, whose forefathers had served in the American Revolution and War of 1812, sought to enlist. He was prevented from doing so by the administration at Bowdoin who stated he was too valuable to lose. In 1862, Chamberlain requested and was granted a leave of absence to study languages in Europe. Departing Bowdoin, he quickly volunteered his services to the governor of Maine, Israel Washburn, Jr. Offered command of the 20th Maine Infantry, Chamberlain declined stating he wished to learn the trade first and instead became the regiments lieutenant colonel on August 8, 1862. He was joined in the 20th Maine by his younger brother, Thomas D. Chamberlain. Serving under Colonel Adelbert Ames, Chamberlain and the 20th Maine mustered in on August 20, 1862. Assigned to the 1st Division (Major General George W. Morell), V Corps (Major General Fitz John Porter) of Major General George B. McClellans Army of the Potomac, the 20th Maine served at the Antietam, but was held in reserve and did not see action. Later that fall, the regiment was part of the attack on Maryes Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Though the regiment suffered relatively light casualties, Chamberlain was forced to spend the night on the cold battlefield using corpses for protection against Confederate fire. Escaping, the regiment missed the fight at Chancellorsville the following May due to a smallpox outbreak. As a result, they were posted to guard duty in the rear. Gettysburg: Shortly after Chancellorsville, Ames was promoted brigade command in Major General Oliver O. Howards XI Corps, and Chamberlain ascended to command of the 20th Maine. On July 2, 1863, the regiment entered action at Gettysburg. Assigned to hold Little Round Top on the extreme left of the Union line, the 20th Maine was tasked with ensuring the Army of the Potomacs position was not flanked. Late in the afternoon, Chamberlains men came under attack from Colonel William C. Oates 15th Alabama. Repelling multiple Confederate assaults, he continued to extend and refuse (bend back) his line to prevent the Alabamans from turning his flank.   With his line nearly bent back upon itself and his men running low on ammunition, Chamberlain boldly ordered a bayonet charge which routed and captured many of the Confederates. Chamberlains heroic defense of the hill earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor and the regiment everlasting fame. Overland Campaign Petersburg: Following Gettysburg, Chamberlain assumed command of the 20th Maines brigade and led this force during the Bristoe Campaign that fall.   Falling ill with malaria, he was suspended from duty in November and sent home to recover. Returning to the Army of the Potomac in April 1864, Chamberlain was promoted to back brigade command in June after the Battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, and Cold Harbor. On June 18, while leading his men during an attack on Petersburg, he was shot through the right hip and groin. Supporting himself on his sword, he encouraged his men on before collapsing. Believing the wound to be fatal, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant promoted Chamberlain to brigadier general as a final act. Over the following weeks, Chamberlain clung to life and managed to recover from his wounds after undergoing an operation by the 20th Maines surgeon, Dr. Abner Shaw, and Dr. Morris W. Townsend of the 44th New York. Returning to duty in November 1864, Chamberlain served for the remainder of the war. On March 29, 1865, his brigade led the Union attack at the Battle of Lewis Farm outside Petersburg. Wounded again, Chamberlain was brevetted to major general for his gallantry. On April 9, Chamberlain was alerted to the Confederates desire to surrender. The next day he was told by V Corps commander Major General Charles Griffin that of all the officers in the Union army, he had been selected to receive the Confederate surrender. On April 12, Chamberlain presided over the ceremony and ordered his men to attention and carry arms as a sign of respect for their vanquished foe. Postwar Career: Leaving the army, Chamberlain returned home to Maine and served as the states governor for four years. Stepping down in 1871, he was appointed to the presidency of Bowdoin. Over the next twelve years he revolutionized the schools curriculum and updated its facilities. Forced to retire in 1883, due to aggravation of his war wounds, Chamberlain remained active in public life, the Grand Army of the Republic, and in planning events for veterans. In 1898, he volunteered for service in the Spanish-American War and was bitterly disappointed when his request was turned down. On February 24, 1914, the Lion of Little Round Top died at the age of 85 in Portland, ME. His death was largely the result of complications of his wounds, making him the last Civil War veteran to die from wounds received in battle.

The History and Love Story of the Taj Mahal

The History and Love Story of the Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is a beautiful, white-marble mausoleum built by Mughul emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River near Agra, India, the Taj Mahal took 22 years to build, finally being completed in 1653. The Taj Mahal, considered one of the New Wonders of the World, astounds every visitor not only for its symmetry and structural beauty, but also for its intricate calligraphy, inlaid flowers made of gemstones, and magnificent garden. The Love Story It was in 1607, that Shah Jahan, grandson of Akbar the Great, first met his beloved. At the time, he was not yet the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire. Sixteen-year-old, Prince Khurram, as he was then called, flitted around the royal bazaar, flirting with the girls from high-ranking families that staffed the booths.   At one of these booths, Prince Khurram met 15-year-old Arjumand Banu Baygam, whose father was soon to be the prime minister and whose aunt was married to Prince Khurram’s father. Although it was love at first sight, the two were not allowed to marry right away. First, Prince Khurram had to marry Kandahari Begum. (He would later marry a third wife as well.) On March 27, 1612, Prince Khurram and his beloved, whom he gave the name Mumtaz Mahal (â€Å"chosen one of the palace†), were married. Mumtaz Mahal was not only beautiful, she was smart and tender-hearted. The public was enamored with her, in part because Mumtaz Mahal cared for the people, diligently making lists of widows and orphans to make sure they received food and money. The couple had 14 children together, but only seven lived past infancy. It was the birth of the 14th child that was to kill Mumtaz Mahal. The Death of Mumtaz Mahal In 1631, three years into Shah Jahan’s reign, there was a rebellion underway, led by Khan Jahan Lodi. Shah Jahan had taken his military out to the Deccan, about 400 miles from Agra, in order to crush the usurper. As usual, Mumtaz Mahal, who was always by Shah Jahan’s side, accompanied him, despite being heavily pregnant. On June 16, 1631, Mumtaz Mahal, in an elaborately decorated tent, gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the middle of the encampment. At first, all seemed to be well, but it was soon discovered that Mumtaz Mahal was dying. As soon as Shah Jahan received news of his wife’s condition, he rushed to her side. In the early morning hours of June 17, 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died in his arms. Reports say that in Shah Jahan’s anguish, he went to his own tent and cried for eight days. Upon emerging, some say he had aged, now sporting white hair and needing glasses. Mumtaz Mahal was buried right away, according to Islamic tradition, near the encampment at Burbanpur. Her body, however, was not to stay there long. Plans for the Taj Mahal In December 1631, when the feud with Khan Jahan Lodi was won, Shah Jahan had the remains of Mumtaz Mahal dug up and brought 435 miles (700 km) to Agra. The return of Mumtaz Mahal was a grand procession, with thousands of soldiers accompanying the body and mourners lining the route. When the remains of Mumtaz Mahal reached Agra on January 8, 1632, they were temporarily buried on land donated by nobleman Raja Jai Singh, near where the Taj Mahal was to be built. Shah Jahan, filled with grief, had decided to pour that emotion into an elaborate, exquisite, expensive mausoleum that would rival all those that had come before it. (It was also to be unique, being the first large mausoleum dedicated to a woman.) Although no one, main architect for the Taj Mahal is known, it is believed that Shah Jahan, who was already passionate about architecture, worked on the plans himself with the input and aid of a number of the best architects of his time. The plan was that the Taj Mahal (â€Å"the crown of the region†) would represent heaven (Jannah) on Earth. No expense was spared to make this happen. Building the Taj Mahal At the time, the Mughal Empire was one of the richest in the world and thus Shah Jahan had the means to pay for this huge venture. With the plans made, Shah Jahan wanted the Taj Mahal to be grand, but also, built quickly. To speed production, an estimated 20,000 workers were brought in and housed nearby in a newly built town for them called Mumtazabad. These workers included both skilled and unskilled craftsmen. At first, builders worked on the foundation and then on the giant, 624-foot-long plinth (base). On this plinth was to sit the Taj Mahal building as well as the two matching, red sandstone buildings (the mosque and the guest house) that flank the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal building, sitting on a second plinth, was to be an octagonal structure, first constructed of brick and then covered in white marble. Like in most large projects, the builders created a scaffolding to build higher; however, what was unusual was that the scaffolding for this project was built of bricks. No one has yet figured out why. The white marble was incredibly heavy and quarried in Makrana, 200 miles away. Reportedly, it took 1,000 elephants and an untold number of oxen to drag the marble to the Taj Mahal building site. For the heavy marble pieces to reach the higher spaces of the Taj Mahal, a giant, 10-mile-long, earthen ramp was built. The very top of the Taj Mahal is topped with a huge, double-shell dome that reaches to 240 feet and is also covered in white marble. Four thin, white-marble minarets stand tall at the corners of the second plinth, surrounding the mausoleum. Calligraphy and Inlaid Flowers Most pictures of the Taj Mahal show only a large, white, lovely building. What these photos miss is the intricacies that can only be seen up close. It is these details that make the Taj Mahal astoundingly feminine and opulent. On the mosque, guest house, and the large main gate at the southern end of the Taj Mahal complex appear passages from the Quran (often spelled Koran), the holy book of Islam, written in calligraphy. Shah Jahan hired Amanat Khan, a master calligrapher, to work on the inlaid verses. Masterfully done, the finished verses from the Quran, inlaid with black marble, look soft and gentle. Although made of stone, the curves make it look almost hand-written. The 22 passages from the Quran were reportedly chosen by Amanat Khan himself. Interestingly, Amanat Khan was the only person who Shah Jahan allowed to sign his work on the Taj Mahal. Almost more amazing than the calligraphy is the exquisite inlaid flowers found throughout the Taj Mahal complex. In a process known as parchin kari, highly-skilled stone cutters cut intricate floral designs into the white marble and then inlaid precious and semi-precious stones to form interwoven vines and flowers. The 43 different kinds of precious and semi-precious stones used for these flowers came from around the world, including lapis lazuli from Sri Lanka, jade from China, malachite from Russia, and turquoise from Tibet. The Garden As in many religions, Islam holds the image of Paradise as a garden; thus, the garden at the Taj Mahal was an integral part of the plan to make it heaven on Earth. The Taj Mahal’s garden, which is situated to the south of the mausoleum, has four quadrants, divided by four â€Å"rivers† of water (another important Islamic image of Paradise), which gather at a central pool. The gardens and â€Å"rivers† were supplied with water from the Yamuna River by a complex, underground water system. Unfortunately, no records have survived telling us what plants were originally planted in the Taj Mahal’s garden. The End of Shah Jahan Shah Jahan stayed in deep mourning for two years but even after that, the death of Mumtaz Mahal still deeply affected him. That is perhaps why the third of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan’s four sons, Aurangzeb, was able to successfully kill off his three brothers and imprison his father. In 1658, after 30 years as emperor, Shah Jahan was usurped and placed in the luxurious Red Fort in Agra. Not able to leave but with most of his usual luxuries, Shah Jahan spent his last eight years staring out a window, looking at his beloved’s Taj Mahal. When Shah Jahan died on January 22, 1666, Aurangzeb had his father buried with Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt beneath the Taj Mahal. On the main floor of the Taj Mahal, above the crypt, now sits two cenotaphs (empty, public tombs). The one in the center of the room belongs to Mumtaz Mahal and the one just to the west is for Shah Jahan. Surrounding the cenotaphs is a delicately-carved, lacy, marble screen. (Originally it had been a gold screen but Shah Jahan had that replaced so that thieves would not be too tempted.) The Taj Mahal in Ruins Shah Jahan had enough wealth in his coffers to support the Taj Mahal and its mighty maintenance costs, but over the centuries, the Mughal Empire lost its riches and the Taj Mahal fell into disrepair. By the 1800s, the British ousted the Mughals and took over India. To many, the Taj Mahal was beautiful and so they cut gemstones from the walls, stole the silver candlesticks and doors, and even tried to sell the white marble overseas. It was Lord Curzon, the British viceroy of India, who put a stop to all that. Rather than looting the Taj Mahal, Curzon worked to restore it. The Taj Mahal Now The Taj Mahal has once again become a magnificent place, with 2.5 million people visiting it each year. Visitors can visit during the daytime, where the color of the white marble seems to change depending on the time of the day. Once a month, visitors have the opportunity to make a short visit during a full moon, to see how the Taj Mahal seems to glow from within in the moonlight.   In 1983, the Taj Mahal was placed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO, but it now suffers from pollutants from nearby factories and from the humidity from the breath of its visitors.   Sources DuTemple, Lesley A. The Taj Mahal. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company, 2003.Harpur, James and Jennifer Westwood. The Atlas of Legendary Places. New York: Weidenfeld Nicolson, 1989.Ingpen, Robert and Philip Wilkinson. Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places: The Life and Legends of Ancient Sites Around the World. New York: Barnes Noble Books, 1999.

Europe after the Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Europe after the Cold War - Essay Example After the Soviet Union disintegrated, the post-Cold War world broadly seems as unipolar and the US remains the only remaining superpower. The Cold War was instrumental in defining the political rule of numerous states including the US after the WW2, and as of 1989, the US had military alliances with more than fifty states while having almost one and a half million troops deployed abroad in more than one hundred nations. The cold war was also integral in institutionalizing a worldwide commitment to large, lasting peacetime military and industrial complexes along with large-scale funding for science by militaries. Â  The occurrences of 1989 along with the fall of the Berlin wall demonstrated in the short term to be enormously undermining as they resulted in the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a United Germany as well as an expanded NATO while unleashing volatile forces, although the instability was not permanent (Engel, 2009). The European continent after the Cold War has demonstrated to be comparatively stable; nonetheless, judgments have to be reserved as the ramifications of these events continue to be felt. For instance, the current crisis in the Eurozone is directly connected to the greater integration of the EU, which can be attributed to the fall of the Berlin wall. The Cold War period provided a certain level of stability for governments in the European continent, as they were aware of their status quo and the sides they supported. Boundaries and conflicts had clear definitions with the key to making the system stable being a lack of interest in changing the status quo on both sid es. Â  It may also be contended that this status quo was not sustainable with the communist bloc directing huge amounts of money to the purchase of arms while daily lives behind the Iron Curtain were being marked by a high degree of hardship.

Massachusetts Health Reform Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Massachusetts Health Reform Policy - Essay Example Public policy is a complex process which involves collaboration of various players to act toward achievement of that public policy. It involves development of laws, regulations, decisions and actions towards the policy achievement. This paper addresses health care policy and reform undertaken in Massachusetts health care in United States America (Kowalcyzk, 2006). Health care provision in USA has been a major debate over along period. The debate has centered on right to health care, accessibility, sustainability and the quality of health care system. Although United States heath care system is the most expensive in the world which consists a mixture of public and private system, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicated that use of health services was below its meridian. National Academy of Sciences and the institute of Medicine cited that US is the only developed state that does not cover its citizens, thus the debate on universal health care policy. The United States government policy which seeks to provide universal health care has been a major debate which has divided Americans along party lines. ... Those against universal healthcare argue for people to be let free to choose their health insurance. The universal health program is yet to be achieved in US (Sered, 2005). Massachusetts health care reform (2006) Before enactment in to law of Massachusetts healthcare reform in 2006 as Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006 of the Massachusetts Legislature, most of the residents approximated to range from 395,000 to 653,000 were uninsured. US laws require all people to be treated in all hospitals regardless of residency or whether one has money or not. This brought unpaid hospital bills and expenses due to the uninsured residents in Massachusetts (Richard, 2005). A fund known as "Uncompensated Care pool" was used to reimburse hospitals the expenses of uninsured residents and those of non residents. The fund was raised through state contributions, federal tax revenue and annual assessment on insurance providers. The fund accumulated due to an increase in insured Massachusetts residents prompting the legislation of reform on health care without additional funding. The Massachusetts health care reform was made law in 2006. The law requires every Massachusetts resident to obtain cover of health insurance. Subsidized health care is provided to residents earning up to 100% of federal poverty level and partially to those earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level. An independent body was put in place to subsidize coverage and to facilitate the selection and buying of private insurance. Tax penalties are given to residents who fail to obtain health insurance (Kowalcyzk, 2006). Legislation of the policy The plan to cover uninsured began in 2004 when Governor Mitt Romney called for a cover plan for the uninsured. At that Affordable Care

Bacteria Shape and Size Essay Example for Free

Bacteria Shape and Size Essay Questions: A.What are the advantages of using bleach as a disinfectant? The disadvantages? The advantages of using 70% alcohol? The disadvantages? The advantages of using bleach as a disinfectant is strong and effective disinfectant. Its active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, denatures protein in micro-organisms and is therefore effective in killing bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Household bleach works quickly and is widely available at a low cost. The disadvantage is could irritates mucous membranes, the skin, and the airway. It also decomposes under heat or light and reacts readily with other chemicals. Bleach solutions begin to lose its effectiveness after 2 hours. You will need to make a fresh solution for each experiment. The advantage of the 70% alcohol mixtures is capable of killing most bacteria within 5 minutes of exposure. It is a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution suitable for use as a disinfectant and is safe for contact with the skin. Alcohol mixed with water is an effective disinfectant. The water is the mix prevents the cell from dehydrating and allows the alcohol component to disrupt the cell membrane and enter the cell resulting in the denaturing of cellular proteins. It is a 70% isopropyl alcohol for use as a disinfectant and is safe for contact with the skin. The primary disadvantages of using 70% as disinfectant are that is ineffective against that is flammable and should be not used around a flame source. Another consideration is that it is flammable and should be not used around a flame source. B.List three reasons why you might choose to stain a particular slide rather than view it as a wet mount. C.Define the following terms: Â ·Chromophore: Â ·Acidic Dye: Â ·Basic Dye: D.What is the difference between direct and indirect staining? E.What is heat fixing? F.Why is it necessary to ensure that your specimens are completely air dried prior to heat fixing? G.Describe what you observed in your plaque smear wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? H.Describe what you observed in your cheek smear wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? I.Describe what you observed in your yeast wet mount, direct stained slide, and indirectly stained slide. What were the similarities? What were the differences? J.Were the cell types the same in all three specimen sets: yeast, plaque, and cheek? How were they similar? How were they different?

Capitalism Essays -- Economic System, Freedom

Discuss your own impressions of what Capitalism is. My personal view of Capitalism is the freedom of choice to use your property any way you choose to use it. We as Americans have been giving rights to this choice. According to Murphy, That is why it is also known as the free enterprise (or free market) system, because it allows people freedom to choose: freedom to choose their own jobs, freedom to sell their own products at whatever prices they like, and the freedom to choose among products for the best value. (pg.1) As Americans, we have taken advantage of this freedom. We can work in whatever job that we love regardless of qualifications. Like many others, this choice has giving us the ability to make a living for our family. Many countries today do not get the opportunity to experience freedom of choice. These countries are governed by a socialistic system. This socialistic system says that, in their county there is no right to private property at all: everything is owned -or could be confiscated –by the state for t he benefit of â€Å"the people† (p.2) Views of Capitalism There are many critics of Capitalism according to Murphy that would say, â€Å"Even though we have this freedom to choose their jobs the still stand at the mercy of the employers† (p.2) As a citizen of the United States we can leave a job if we feel despondent about our jobs. There no law in place that can give an employer for any reason to hold you to a job. In addition, I have the right if self employed to sell my goods or services at any price beyond reason. In contrast, under a socialist system, the dissatisfied citizen’s only recourses are to leave the county (if that’s even allowed), or to start a revolution. (p.3) It is your choice of salary!... ... as those institutions perform for the public. (McConnell p. 637) Banking institutions and Thrifts makes loans and make deposits from the Central banks. The Federal System was established to control money supply through monetary policy. Congress established this system as an independent agency of government. They wanted to protect the Fed from political pressures so they can control the supply of money and price stability effectively. (McConnell p. 639) Conclusion Economics is all around us each day. In essence, we as consumers can control our own economic perspective. We sacrifice at any cost to get what we want. Our utility is increased when we pursue any pleasures and happiness through the purchase of goods or services. The author learned a great deal about economics. We function in a world all around us consumed by the economic pleasures of life.

Citizens United Case

In January 2008, Citizens United released a documentary that was critical of Senator Hilary Clinton and planned to run commercials of it at that time. However, through the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold Act which â€Å"prohibits corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech that is an ‘electioneering communication’ or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate†, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the commercials violated the act.The case was brought up to the Supreme Court and would be one of the more important cases about the First Amendment with a controversial decision. On March 24, 2009, the Supreme Court took oral arguments from Malcolm Stewart, then Deputy Solicitor General representing the Federal Election Commission. He pointed out that with the current laws in place for the campaign-finance s ystem, even a book that had the same content as the documentary would be banned. An even more disturbing point that Stewart made was that the government could ban a book that has just one sentence about candidate advocacy.This caused the Supreme Court to ask the parties to reargue the case due to two cases that Stewart used: Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a statute that prohibited a corporation to use its funds for or against a political candidate, and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, the decision that upheld the constitutionality of the McCain-Feingold law. The reason for rearguing the case was to determine if they, the justices, should overrule those two decisions. The court reversed the ruling from the lower court and overruled Austin v.Michigan Chamber of Commerce and partially overruled McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. The overall ruling was 5-4 with Justice Steven’s dissent that was joined by Justice Breyer, Ginsberg, and Sotomayor. Justice Ke nnedy, part of the majority opinion, believed that â€Å"If the First Amendment  has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech. † In general, the Justices in the majority opinion believed that the case was based mostly on the First Amendment.Due to freedom of speech, corporations, whom the Justices believed were counted as individuals, could not be denied their right to voice out their opinion on running officials. The justices that favored the ruling brushed aside the warnings that might result in overturning the lower court’s decision. The dissenting justices warned that treating a corporation’s right to speech to be the same as an individual human was dangerous. However, eight of the justices agreed that Congress can require corporations to disclose how much they spent and to have disclaimers in the absence of facts.Chief Justice Roberts, one of whom that was part o f the majority opinion, believed that â€Å"the important principles of judicial restraint and  stare decisis  implicated in this case† had to be addressed. He believed that overturning a past decision, such as Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, in certain circumstances were necessary. Roberts stated that cases such as segregation and minimum wage would not be as of what they are today if it were not for judicial activism. Justice Stevens wrote a passionate dissent that was joined by the other three Justices who opposed the ruling.He stated that the Court’s ruling â€Å"threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. † Because corporations and the general public could now spend unlimited money to promote or demote politicians who are running for office anytime, Stevens fears that it would cause an large disturbance in the election process. Although the majority opinion did not touch the laws about direct contribution to the candidates, part of the argument was whether a direct contribution versus an indirect contribution was the same thing.The time between the case being introduced to the Supreme Court until the official ruling of the case created a large amount of publicity and different opinions. President Obama believed that the decision gave the corporations too much power to influence the election process. However, other politicians such as a Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, believed that the First Amendment applied to corporations which would let corporations to voice out their opinions on campaigning officials. The fundamental question here is whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v.Federal Election Commission a good decision or a bad decision. I personally feel that the arguments from both sides were valid. The fact that Congress essentially denied a form of free speech from a corporation is unconstitutional in m y opinion. However, my opinion in corporations becoming involved in political campaigns where they might have a large impact on how people view a certain politician is that it is not fair. I believe that the decision made by the Supreme Court was good in part of retaining the First Amendment’s freedom of speech but bad in part of the campaigning process for politicians.The decision gives too much power to a corporation versus the general public. If a corporation was allowed to spend without limit in the elections, politicians could strategically support a topic that the corporation would benefit from. This would result in the corporation to have the power to directly contribute in the campaign by running their own ads that promotes the politician. Campaigning would then become a war of getting the support of many of the biggest corporations. This gives too much power to the corporations and essentially removes the voices of the general public.As Obama pointed out in his state of the union address in 2010, it would also give the power to foreign corporations to help fund a certain election. I strongly oppose any kind of foreign involvement in any political activity in the United States. With the potential of candidates to â€Å"sell-out† to corporations would just ruin the whole election process. With the potential of unlimited spending of corporations, not only would they be allowed to endorse a political candidate, but they would also be able to attack candidates such as the documentary made by Citizens United.With the current campaigning process, political candidates have created attack ads that give negative images of an opposing candidate. Now that corporations can voice their opinions, there may be an increase of these attack ads. Through an ethical standpoint, it ruins the integrity of the election process. The election process would not just become a fight between politicians to gain support from corporations but also a fight of who can de stroy another candidate’s image to the public.It not only defaces the opposing candidate, but it shows how dirty a politician can be. The election process turns into an all-out fight between candidates who would deploy such a tactic. With the inclusion of corporations now, it would worsen the current state of the campaigning process. I see why the Justices would overrule the lower court’s decision due to the First Amendment. The argument made by Malcolm Stewart definitely gave the impression that the law was too restrictive in such a way that it banned any forms of view from a corporation of a political candidate.I would agree with how the law would be unconstitutional through Stewart’s argument; however, I would oppose it through an ethical view. A poll conducted by Washington Post showed that eight in ten poll respondents opposed the decision made by the Supreme Court. William Rehnquist, a former Supreme Court justice, also opposed the decision made by the cou rt by joining the dissent made by Stevens. Sandra Day O’Connor, also another former Supreme Court justice, made a point that the checks and balances on campaign spending were demolished. However, O’Connor was an author of McConnell v.Federal Election Commission. The Supreme Court’s case about allowing the Westboro Baptist Church to protest at military funerals is similar to this case due to both cases involving the right to free speech. In both cases, the general public did not like the ruling; however, it made sense constitutionally. There may be alternatives that Congress can take in battling the problems of corporations being involved in political campaigns. Although the court overruled it, I believe that there should be some sort of regulation on how much a corporation could spend on a candidate.Instead of limiting the corporation’s freedom of speech, why can’t we limit how much they can endorse a candidate? One can argue that money is not spee ch, so limiting the amount a corporation could spend would be constitutional. Another way to tackle the problem is to let shareholders decide on the political expenditures made by a corporation, as Great Britain does. This would let a larger majority decide on what the corporation would do for political expenditures. However, even though it is still a larger pool of people, they probably will still act in the interest of the company due them be driven by profits.Now that the court has made its decision, corporations can now spend as much as they want on politics. Many problems would arise due to this; however, it would still be constitutional. I believe that the decision of overruling Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and partially overruling McConnell v. Federal Election Commission was good due to following the First Amendment. However through a practical stance, it would create a large possibility of corrupting the campaigning process. Bibliography Eggen, Dan. â€Å" Poll: Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing.   Washington Post17 February 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/17/AR201 0021701151. html;. Hasen, Rick. â€Å"CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS' CONCURRING OPINION IN CITIZENS UNITED: TWO MYSTERIESCHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS' CONCURRING OPINION IN CITIZENS UNITED: TWO MYSTERIES . â€Å"Election Law Blog. N. p. , 23 January, 2010. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://electionlawblog. org/archives/015118. html;. â€Å"High-Court Hypocrisy. †Ã‚  Newsweek. 22 January 2010: n. page. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. thedailybeast. om/newsweek/2010/01/22/high-court-hypocrisy. html;. Liptak, Adam. â€Å"Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending LimitJustices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit . †Ã‚  New York Times  21 January 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. nytimes. com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus. html;. Liptak, Adam. â€Å"O’Connor M ildly Criticizes Court’s Campaign Finance Decision. †Ã‚  New York Times  26 January 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://thecaucus. blogs. nytimes. com/2010/01/26/oconnor-mildly-criticizes-courts-campaign-finance-decision/? p;. Robert, John. â€Å"Roberts, C. J. , concurring. † n. pag. Legal Information Institute. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/08-205. ZC. html;. Scalia, Antonin. â€Å"Scalia, J. , concurring. † n. pag. Legal Information Institute. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/08-205. ZC1. html;. Smith, Bradley. â€Å"The Myth of Campaign Finance Reform. â€Å"National Affairs. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. nationalaffairs. com/publications/detail/the-myth-of-campaign-finance-reform;.

Islamic Finance & Critical Success Factors Essay

I Would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people who contributed their time and effort and provided their insight in enabling the compilation of this report, it is with much regret that all of their names cannot be mentioned individually here, however special mention needs to be made of certain individuals, without whose input this report would have not been possible. Mr Baratha Devanarayana course coordinator and project supervisor of the Advanced Diploma in Business Management programme at the National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) for the support and advice given in content structuring and format design of the report. Would also like to mention Mrs Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and Mrs Shamshed Akhtar, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan whose knowledge and valuable insight on the Islamic finance industry as leading professionals in the field have provided the basis on which the compilation of this report has been made possible. Executive Summary Islamic finance is a financial system based on Shariah law or Islamic law which mandates the prohibition of charging or payment of interest encourages risk and profit sharing between all parties to a contract and emphasizes the need of ethical investment which contributes to the greater good of society as a whole. Islamic finance is now one of the fastest growing financial segments in the international financial system today with an estimated annual growth rate of 15 to 20%. Industry assets worldwide are currently estimated to be between $1. 3 trillion and its industry assets and overseas portfolios are estimated to reach 4 trillion in the medium term. Diverse financial products and services, progress in developing regulatory frameworks and enhanced international linkages are driving industry growth. The critical success factors for Islamic finance to foster the growth of the industry, the application of these critical success factors and there potential applicability in the Sri Lankan context will be analysed, a comparison between Islamic finance and the conventional system on some basic indicators for competitiveness, social development and development finance will be made and the Sri Lankan and regional potential of Islamic finance will be analysed as the research undertaking of this study. The progress that has been made on certain aspects of the Islamic financial system both locally and globally, the importance of Sri Lanka fostering the growth of the Islamic finance industry are some of the issues discussed in this study. As a prelude to the research part of this study the recent developments of Islamic finance both globally and locally and the historical development of Islamic finance will be looked at to facilitate an understanding on how the system has evolved from a single institution a few decades ago to a global industry with a global presence spreading from the Middle East to Asia and the West.

Hotel Essay Example

Hotel Essay Example Hotel Essay Hotel Essay The Eskimo People Eskimos are Indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia, across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland. There are two main groups that are referred to as Eskimo: Yupik and Inuit. A third group, the Aleut, is related. The Yupik language dialects and cultures in Alaska and eastern Siberia have evolved in place beginning with the original Eskimo culture that developed in Alaska. The earliest known Eskimo cultures were Pre-Dorset Technology, which appear to have been a fully developed Eskimo culture that dates to 5,000 years ago. They appear to have evolved in Alaska from people using the Arctic small tool tradition, who probably had migrated to Alaska from Siberia at least 2,000 to 3,000 years earlier; though they might have been in Alaska as far back as 10,000 to 12,000 years or more. There are similar artifacts found in Siberia going back to perhaps 18,000 years ago. Today the two main groups of Eskimos are the Inuit of northern Alaska, Canada and Greenland, and the Yupik, comprising speakers of four distinct Yupik languages and originating in western Alaska, in South Central Alaska along the Gulf of Alaska coast, and in the Russian Far East. In Alaska, the term Eskimo is commonly used, because it includes both Yupik and Inupiat, while Inuit is not accepted as a collective term or even specifically used for Inupiat. No universal replacement term for Eskimo, inclusive of all Inuit and Yupik people, is accepted across the geographical area inhabited by the Inuit and Yupik peoples. In Canada and Greenland, the term Eskimo has fallen out of favor , as it is considered Pejorative by the natives and has been replaced by the term Inuit .

American Civil War Battles

American Civil War Battles The battles of the Civil War were fought across the United States from the East Coast to as far west as New Mexico. Beginning in 1861, these battles made a permanent mark upon the landscape and elevated to prominence small towns that had previously been peaceful villages. As a result, names such as Manassas, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. It is estimated that over 10,000 battles of various sizes were fought during the Civil War as Union forces marched towards victory. The battles of the Civil War are largely divided into the Eastern, Western, and Trans-Mississippi Theaters, with the bulk of the fighting taking place in the first two. During the Civil War, over 200,000 Americans were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. The battles below are arranged by year, theater, and state. 1861 Eastern Theater April 12-14: Battle of Fort Sumter, South CarolinaJune 3: Battle of Philippi, VirginiaJune 10: Battle of Big Bethel, VirginiaJuly 21: First Battle of Bull Run, VirginiaOctober 21: Battle of Balls Bluff, Virginia Western Theater August 10: Battle of Wilsons Creek, MissouriNovember 7: Battle of Belmont, Missouri At Sea November 8: The  Trent  Affair, at Sea 1862 Eastern Theater March 8-9: Battle of Hampton Roads, VirginiaMarch 23: First Battle of Kernstown, VirginiaApril 5: Siege of Yorktown, VirginiaApril 10-11: Battle of Fort Pulaski, GeorgiaMay 5: Battle of Williamsburg, VirginiaMay 8: Battle of McDowell, VirginiaMay 25: First Battle of Winchester, VirginiaMay 31: Battle of Seven Pines, VirginiaJune 8: Battle of Cross Keys, VirginiaJune 9: Battle of Port Republic, VirginiaJune 25: Battle of Oak Grove, VirginiaJune 26: Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville), VirginiaJune 27: Battle of Gaines Mill, VirginiaJune 29: Battle of Savages Station, VirginiaJune 30: Battle of Glendale (Fraysers Farm), VirginiaJuly 1: Battle of Malvern Hill, VirginiaAugust 9: Battle of Cedar Mountain, VirginiaAugust 28-30: Second Battle of Manassas, VirginiaSeptember 1: Battle of Chantilly, VirginiaSeptember 12-15: Battle of Harpers Ferry, VirginiaSeptember 14: Battle of South Mountain, MarylandSeptember 17: Battle of Antietam, MarylandDecember 13: Battle of Fredericksburg, Vi rginia Trans-Mississippi Theater February 21: Battle of Valverde, New MexicoMarch 7-8: Battle of Pea Ridge, ArkansasMarch 26-28: Battle of Glorieta Pass, New MexicoDecember 7: Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas Western Theater January 19: Battle of Mill Springs, KentuckyFebruary 6: Battle of Fort Henry, TennesseeFebruary 11-16: Battle of Fort Donelson, TennesseeApril 6-7: Battle of Shiloh, TennesseeApril 12: Great Locomotive Chase, GeorgiaApril 24/25: Capture of New Orleans, LouisianaJune 6: Battle of Memphis, TennesseeSeptember 19: Battle of Iuka, MississippiOctober 3-4: Second Battle of Corinth, MississippiOctober 8: Battle of Perryville, KentuckyDecember 26-29: Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, MississippiDecember 31-January 2, 1863: Battle of Stones River, Tennessee 1863 Eastern Theater May 1-6: Battle of Chancellorsville, VirginiaJune 9: Battle of Brandy Station, VirginiaJuly 1-3: Battle of Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaJuly 3: Battle of Gettysburg: Picketts Charge, PennsylvaniaJuly 11 18: Battles of Fort Wagner, South CarolinaOctober 13-November 7: Bristoe Campaign, VirginiaNovember 26-December 2: Mine Run Campaign, Virginia Trans-Mississippi Theater January 9-11: Battle of Arkansas Post, Arkansas Western Theater Fall 1862-July 4: Vicksburg Campaign, MississippiMay 12: Battle of Raymond, MississippiMay 16: Battle of Champion Hill, MississippiMay 17: Battle of Big Black River Bridge, MississippiMay 18-July 4: Siege of Vicksburg, MississippiMay 21-July 9: Siege of Port Hudson, LouisianaJune 11-July 26: Morgans Raid, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, OhioSeptember 18-20: Battle of Chickamauga, GeorgiaOctober 28-29: Battle of Wauhatchie, TennesseeNovember-December: Knoxville Campaign, TennesseeNovember 23-25: Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee 1864 Eastern Theater February 16: Submarine  H.L. Hunley  Sinks USS  Housatonic, South CarolinaFebruary 20: Battle of Olustee, FloridaMay 5-7: Battle of the Wilderness, VirginiaMay 8-21: Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, VirginiaMay 11: Battle of Yellow Tavern, VirginiaMay 16: Battle of New Market, VirginiaMay 23-26: Battle of North Anna, VirginiaMay 31-June 12: Battle of Cold Harbor, VirginiaJune 5: Battle of Piedmont, VirginiaJune 9, 1864-April 2, 1865: Siege of Petersburg, VirginiaJune 11-12: Battle of Trevilian Station, VirginiaJune 21-23: Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, VirginiaJuly 9: Battle of Monocacy, MarylandJuly 24: Second Battle of Kernstown, VirginiaJuly 30: Battle of the Crater, VirginiaAugust 18-21: Battle of Globe Tavern, VirginiaSeptember 19: Third Battle of Winchester (Opequon), VirginiaSeptember 21-22: Battle of Fishers Hill, VirginiaOctober 2: Battle of Peebles Farm, VirginiaOctober 19: Battle of Cedar Creek, VirginiaOctober 27-28: Battle of Boydton Plank Road, Virginia Trans-Mississippi River April 8: Battle of Mansfield, LouisianaOctober 23: Battle of Westport, Missouri Western Theater May 13-15: Battle of Resaca, GeorgiaJune 10: Battle of Brices Cross Roads, MississippiJune 27: Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, GeorgiaJuly 20: Battle of Peachtree Creek, GeorgiaJuly 22: Battle of Atlanta, GeorgiaJuly 28: Battle of Ezra Church, GeorgiaAugust 5: Battle of Mobile Bay, AlabamaAugust 31-September 1: Battle of Jonesboro (Jonesborough), GeorgiaNovember 15-December 22: Shermans March to the Sea, GeorgiaNovember 29: Battle of Spring Hill, TennesseeNovember 30: Battle of Franklin, TennesseeDecember 15-16: Battle of Nashville, Tennessee 1865 Eastern Theater January 13-15: Second Battle of Fort Fisher, North CarolinaFebruary 5-7: Battle of Hatchers Run, VirginiaMarch 25: Battle of Fort Stedman, VirginiaApril 1: Battle of Five Forks, VirginiaApril 6: Battle of Saylers Creek (Sailors Creek), VirginiaApril 9: Surrender at Appomattox Court House, Virginia Western Theater March 16: Battle of Averasborough, North CarolinaMarch 19-21: Battle of Bentonville, North CarolinaApril 2: Battle of Selma, Alabama

The Department of HomeLand Security Research Paper

The Department of HomeLand Security - Research Paper Example White (2011) asserts that, following the 2001, September 11th attacks, the United States government strived to intensify security and protect the international borders. As a result, the government formed the department of homeland security, which became operational on 24th January 2003. This department came into being when the Homeland Security act of 2002 was passed into law by the Senate. Since its formation, this department has become the third largest department in the cabinet. It ranks third after Department of that of Veteran affairs. The Senate enacted the homeland Security act of 2002. The Department of Homeland Security can be regarded as one of the executive departments, under title 5 of the United States code. President George W. Bush directed the advisor of homeland security to study the federal government. The main aim for doing this was to establish whether the existent structure could meet the threats of terrorist attacks. Following a keen study of the security structure, the president concluded that America needed a unified structure of Homeland Security. This gave rise to the formation of Homeland Security, with the mandate of improving security (Borgeson and Valeri, 2009). Arguments raised included America’s vast technological advancement that provided the country with an added advantage to have the department. This prompted the government to come up with the department. Therefore, the formation of the Department resulted from the numerous security threats to the United States. According to Maniscalco and Christen (2010), the department’s mission entails prevention of terrorist attacks within the United States. Homeland security also aims at countering any probable terrorist attacks by decreasing vulnerability to terrorism. Additionally, the department has the mandate to lessen damage, which might be caused by terrorist attacks. Homeland security does this by assisting and engaging in efforts of recovery resulting

Costs and Benefits Associated with ERP Systems - Advanced Accounting Essay

Costs and Benefits Associated with ERP Systems - Advanced Accounting Information systems - Essay Example P.Regardless of the reason that has contributed to need of searching a new ERP, the fundamental question to be kept in mind is how the ERP will cost (Busco et al., 2007). The cost of an ERP varies depending on different factors. These factors include the size of the company; type of solution needed for instance the more specialized the solution is the pricier the ERP will be. The needed resources also contributes to the decision to be made regarding the ERP.The more external resources are the more costlier the ERP is.The level of customization is also an a factor determining the cost of an ERP (Nixon, 2012). There is the purchase cost and the licensing cost. When an ERP is purchased, licenses for the Database Management System need to be bought separately. Often, the licenses are excluded in purchase price of the software since it is distinct product developed by a different company. There are two types of users’ license in the ERP; the named user and parallel operator. Respective worker has to require an authorization to be able to use the software in the named user licensing. In a parallel user licensing, there has to be a password available to each connected user (Li, 2011). There are also infrastructure related costs. The infrastructure cost incorporates all the required hardware to ride the ERP. However, this will fluctuate for each company, but the following should be included irrespective of the company. Firstly, there is server infrastructure cost, the cost of storage, the cost of backups and new desktop computers, or the computers that require upgrading. The infrastructure costs are responsible for about ten to twenty of an ERP implementation project (Li, 2011). There are also human resources. Human resources accounts for the greatest ERP implementation budget. Consultant costs and the employees’ wages consume more than fifty percent of the total ERP cost. Internal resources cost is also a cost related to ERP. The wages of employees should cater