Economic Consequences of the Civil War essays

Economic Consequences of the Civil War essays The Civil War changed America. It is one of the lower points in American history. While the change that this war brought to America cannot be disputed, there is a question as to its economic impact. Many numbers suggest that the Civil War, while it affected both Northern and Southern states, brought utter ruin upon the Confederate states. This war brought an end to slavery and razed much of the farmland and what little industry the South was dependant upon. However, the Civil War was not the end that it could have been for the South. Throughout this paper, I will discuss how the American Civil War caused mass inflation, a drop in Gross Domestic Product, and an all-around drop in economic growth for both Union and Confederate states. While it may be common knowledge that the war hurt the United States in many ways, some believe the war eventually led to the American Industrial Revolution which would make America the World Leader it is today. However, with this paper, I will show that while the war did cause many advances in both the Northern and Southern states, the war had a much more negative effect on the economy than many may believe. During the decade preceding the American Civil War, both the Northern and Southern states were experiencing remarkable economic advances. The expansion of the railways allowed the formation of a national system of communication. The railways also made the settlements of the western prairie states that much easier. Foreign commerce was unprecedented and immigration was increasing at a steady rate. These factors along with newly discovered mineral resources caused quite a boom in the iron and textile industries of the North. During the ten years preceding the Civil War, these Northern industries grew by two-thirds. Southern states were also growing at an astonishing rate in the years preceding the Civil War. Agricultural areas increased eighty percent and the value of farms rose two hundred and sev...

Writing Mantras

Writing Mantras    Im not a fan of interviews, which might sound a little self-centered because I have been interviewed many times. But I have to admit that when I see an interview of an author with all the stereotypical questions, I hit delete. I dont know how I managed to remain on this authors interview page long enough to read to the end of it, to the juicy part, but I did. And I immediately thought, My readers need to know this. lucberthelette.com/#!authorelizabeth-gilbert/c1vg0 Elizabeth Gilbert is author of several books, most notably Eat, Pray, Love. The interviewer asked a   few clichà © questions, but luckily Ms. Gilbert answered with genius. Rather than describe the interview, I chose to pull out snippets that I label as mantras. If youve read The Shy Writer Reborn (www.chopeclark.com), you know that I am a believer in mantras to instill willpower. The simplest path seems to be to embrace what you are good at, which is like swimming with the current, rather than against it. to figure out what, indeed, your own life is all about requires a ferocious level of attention to the way you are tuned, and equally ferocious stewardship of the Self once I began writing, it became clear to me: This is not a foreign language; this is my native tongue. You must write the book that you feel is missing from your bookshelf. My suggestion is to focus not on becoming successful, but on becoming great. dont demand that your art supports your life. Instead, make a promise that your life will always support your art. A degree in writing is not what makes you a writer. Writing every day is what makes you a writer. And writing every day is absolutely free. And when asked for a final word, she said, ONWARD. I smiled because mine is MOVE FORWARD. Always has been. Your mission is to live forward, not backward. Make each step new and fresh, not one that re-walks old ground.

Project Pitfall Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Pitfall Analysis - Essay Example The risk management process is very important for smooth running of the concerned project. Generally a detailed survey of the market is not done which results in the facing of unidentified risk due to its wrong assessment. To overcome these barriers a few calculative measures have to be taken. The focus of risk aversion should be mainly to take up a level of project whose risk can be easily identified and acceptable; prioritize the alternatives of the risk attached to the concerned project; resourcing, selecting, planning and implementing the most appropriate course of action elected for the elimination of the risk; double check on whether the action plan thus formulated is working in accordance to the plan hatched and lastly a regular revision of the action plan keeping the present market conditions in mind (â€Å"The Risks and Risk Identification† 1). The inadequate project management capability can arise due to faulty selection of the personnel for the respective company. This can be overcome by appointing the right person at the right time for the right designation having the required qualification for the concerned post. As the incapability to perform in managing the project of the company generally arises out the lack of sound knowledge of that field. As said earlier that a project needs to have clarity before undertaking, thus the lack of it results in confusion and disagreements about the project responsibility. Confusion leads to disagreements which can be due to various reasons like goal conflicts which occur because of the end results attached to it along with clashes related to the objectives of the project and administrative conflicts which may arise due to the management structure and responsibility assigned related to tasks, functions and decisions. All these have a solution, the application of which will help overcome the crises. Firstly, developing a master plan with will be compatible for the application of the long term

North American Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

North American Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example Because of this, the products available in the market, particularly imported goods, would be offered at a comparatively lower price. In this regard, the consumers benefit since they can buy more goods at a cheaper price. Second, the NAFTA provisions include the elimination of import quotas, especially on products such as motor vehicles, automotive parts, computers and textiles ("Wikipedia," n.d.). This results in the selling of more products in the market, thus, intensifying the competition among suppliers. As expected, competition brings about more efficient market conditions. Producers compete not only in terms of pricing but also in the quality of goods. Similarly, consumers gain from this as they could have a wider range of high-quality products to choose from. Lastly, the NAFTA enabled manufacturers in all three countries to maximize their full potential by operating in a bigger and more efficient North American economy. This translates to higher profits for competitive companies and allows for reinvestment of earnings. The net effect of this is that more jobs would be generated for the labor force. This, in a way, refutes argument asserted by many American labor unions that the NAFTA takes way jobs from American workers as manufacturers opt for the utilization of cheaper labor available in Mexico.

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes Essay Example for Free

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes Essay An analysis of Langston Hughes’s poem Dream Deferred will reveal a significant commentary on the driving force in America today. It is undeniable that every one of us has dreams or goals that we want to pursue and achieve. Although all of us have their own little dream, this poem reiterates that in some cultures, it will be (and is) harder to achieve their goals. In this particular poem, Langston Hughes expressed his dreams and how they become during a hard time. The fact that he is a black man during the height of the African-American oppression, his ambitions and dreams was really hard to achieve—thus, he became frustrated. He expressed on how and what he really feels about a dream that he has had. Because he was succumbed under a great deal of frustration, he was unable to accomplish that dream. Each line in the poem symbolizes a typical moment in the author’s life. Furthermore, he was also very bitter about the conditions of his group because of their skin color. Hughes used many a great deal of simile in achieving his points. But perhaps the most powerful line in his poem is the â€Å"Or does it explode? †(Hughes) It is an influential conclusion of what could happen to a dream if they are neglected or is not pursued. In conclusion, this is a collective poem that articulates what could happen to dreams that left un-pursued even in times of struggles and oppression. This poem reflects the difficulties not just of African-American but moreover, it is also applicable to people (especially certain ethic groups that are discriminated) who experiences the same situation. This poem will never be obsolete. Works Cited: Hughes, Langston. Dream Deferred. March 2, 2008.

Mill on Liberty Essay examples -- essays research papers

In Chapter 2, Mill turns to the issue of whether people, either through their government or on their own, should be allowed to coerce or limit anyone else's expression of opinion. Mill emphatically says that such actions are illegitimate. Even if only one person held a particular opinion, mankind would not be justified in silencing him. Silencing these opinions, Mill says, is wrong because it robs "the human race, posterity as well as the existing generation." In particular, it robs those who disagree with these silenced opinions. Mill then turns to the reasons why humanity is hurt by silencing opinions. His first argument is that the suppressed opinion may be true. He writes that since human beings are not infallible, they have no authority to decide an issue for all people, and to keep others from coming up with their own judgments. Mill asserts that the reason why liberty of opinion is so often in danger is that in practice people tend to be confident in their own rightness, and excluding that, in the infallibility of the world they come in contact with. Mill contends that such confidence is not justified, and that all people are hurt by silencing potentially true ideas. After presenting his first argument, Mill looks at possible criticisms of his reasoning and responds to them. First, there is the criticism that even though people may be wrong, they still have a duty to act on their "conscientious conviction." When people are sure that they are right, they would be cowardly not to act on that belief and to allow doctrines to be expressed that they believe will hurt mankind. To this, Mill replies that the only way that a person can be confident that he is right is if there is complete liberty to contradict and disprove his beliefs. Humans have the capacity to correct their mistakes, but only through experience and discussion. Human judgment is valuable only in so far as people remain open to criticism. Thus, the only time a person can be sure he is right is if he is constantly open to differing opinions; there must be a standing invitation to try to disprove his beliefs. Second, there is the criticism that governments have a duty to uphold certain beliefs that are important to the well being of society. Only "bad" men would try to undermine these beliefs. Mill replies that this argument still relies on an assumption of i... ...s beliefs are not reflected in their conduct. As a result, people do not truly understand the doctrines they hold dear, and their misunderstanding leads to serious mistakes. Mill presents one possible criticism of this view. He writes that it could be asked whether it is essential for "true knowledge" for some people to hold erroneous opinions. Mill replies that having an increasing number of uncontested opinions is both "inevitable and indispensable" in the process of human improvement. However, this does not mean that the loss of debate is not a drawback, and he encourages teachers to try to compensate for the loss of dissent. Mill then turns to a fourth argument for freedom of opinion. He writes that in the case of conflicting doctrines, perhaps the most common case is that instead of one being true and one false, the truth is somewhere between them. Progress usually only substitutes one partial truth for another, the newer truth more suited to the needs of the times. Dissenting or heretical opinions often reflect the partial truths not recognized in popular opinion, and are valuable for bringing attention to a "fragment of wisdom." This fact can

Living Like Weasels Essay

â€Å"Living Like Weasels†, by Annie Dillard, is a very complex essay with deep metaphorical meaning. In her essay, Dillard takes an interesting view of the way people could live; she describes how a weasel moves through life, suggesting humans take a similar approach. Bringing things back to a more primitive perspective of instinct and simplicity, she explores through symbolic imagery, why humans should latch on to their one passion in life and never let it go. Many people may think it is strange to suggest that a human being should live like an animal such as the weasel. However, a weasel exhibits a variety of desirable traits that we humans yearn to attain. In the first part of Dillard’s essay, she gives a brief introduction of what a weasel is and the sort of tendencies that they have. She then goes on to tell an elaborate story of a man who shot an eagle out of the sky only to find that a weasel was fixed by its jaws to the eagle’s throat. Dillard states, â€Å"The supposition is that the eagle had pounced on the weasel and the weasel swiveled and bit as instinct taught him, tooth to neck, and nearly won.† The weasel acted upon instinct, disregarding the size and power of the eagle. Dillard uses this bizarre image to show her admiration for the instinct and determination of this small creature, as well as a basis for the premise of her essay. Further into her essay, Dillard brilliantly ties her thoughts together. She states, â€Å"Time and events are merely poured, unremarked, and ingested directly, like blood pulsed into my gut through a jugular vein†¦The thing is to stalk your calling in a certain skilled and supple way, to locate the most tender and live spot and plug into that pulse.† Here, Dillard creates a clear picture of what she believes to be the best way to find your one true passion. Somewhat like how the weasel instinctively bit onto the eagle’s neck, she suggests that humans stalk their one passion and then hold on wherever it takes them. Dillard sums up the main idea of her entire essay in the last paragraph. She says, â€Å"I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you. Then even death, where you’re going no matter how you live, cannot you part. Seize it and let it seize you up aloft even, till your eyes burn out and drop†. With this statement, Dillard more directly states  that people should do as the weasel does. Just as the weasel grabbed onto the eagle, humans should hang on to their one passion, because even through death and whatever else is to come, what you have grabbed onto will last forever. Throughout Dillard’s essay she uses key phrases such as â€Å"ingested†, â€Å"latch on†, â€Å"grasp†, â€Å"plug into the pulse†, or even â€Å"jaws†. All of these are phrases that allude to the segment earlier in her essay about the weasel that fearlessly latches onto the throat of an eagle, refusing to let go. These phrases create an extremely clear and even somewhat violent scenario, but they are all components to what Dillard believes humans should practice in their every day lives. Through a series of metaphors and symbolic imagery, Dillard is able to convey her philosophy towards life: to latch onto a certain passion and not let it go even through death. Although her idea is very intriguing, even romantic, the type of single mindedness and drive that she suggests could be somewhat dangerous. Having complex minds that are always aware of choices and different paths to take, the human species could not function under such restrictions as a weasel does. Although this is true, humans can strive for their goals and passions with great determination, yet unlike the weasel, have the benefit of having certain awareness for the consequences of their actions.