Oral History essays

Oral History essays At its most basic definition, oral history is an account of the past conveyed through word of mouth. Oral history tells of cultures and individuals by presenting oral commentary of events, situations and feelings of individuals. Oral history has made important contributions to the ways in which historians and the general public understands and interprets the past. (Stursberg 1997) The beginning of the modern form of oral history is said have originated with Allan Nevins of Columbia University. According to Peter Stursberg, in his Canadian Encyclopedia article on oral history, the modern oral-history movement began in 1948 when Nevin interviewed subjects accompanied by a graduate student who took long hand notes. Nevin evoked a sort of stream of consciousness, or as Stursberg calls it, "stream of reminiscences" from his subjects. Oral histories provide an effective tool that allows historians and anthropologists a chance to preserve oral traditions, skills and crafts. (Vansina 129) In her book, "Oral Tradition as History," Jan Vansina writes that, "The full cultural or individual significance of quilting or the making of a musical instrument can only be obtained through the nuance and subtlety of oral language. Thus we can learn much from a personal history that we could never obtain from a textbook." The practice and method of oral history has had a tradition probably as long as history itself. Herodotus used the method of interviewing survivors' experiences about the past for his account of the Persian wars in the 5th century BC for example. (Stursberg) Ancient cultures would pass down the history of their tribes using the oral tradition. Chosen tribal "historians" would memorize long tracks, usually in the forms of poems or ballads, of tribal history and be charged with maintaining the facts in memory and passing it down to following generations. (Vansina, ...

history colonisation essays

history colonisation essays A case for the connection of Americas colonial and revolutionaryreligious and political experiences to the basic principles of theConstitution can be readily made. One point in favor of this conclusionis the fact that most Americans at that time had little beside theirexperiences on which to base their political ideas. This is due to the lack of advanced schooling among common Americans at that time. Otherpoints also concur with the main idea and make the theory of theconnection plausible. Much evidence to support this claim can be found in the wording ofthe Constitution itself. Even the Preamble has an important idea thatarose from the Revolutionary period. The first line of the Preamblestates, We the People of the United States... . This implies that thenew government that was being formed derived its sovereignty from thepeople, which would serve to prevent it from becoming corrupt anddisinterested in the people, as the framers believed Britains governmenthad become. If the Bill o f Rights is considered, more supporting ideasbecome evident. The First Amendments guarantee of religious freedomcould have been influenced by the colonial tradition of relative religiousfreedom. This tradition was clear even in the early colonies, like Plymouth, which was formed by Puritan dissenters from England seekingreligious freedom. Roger Williams, the proprietor of Rhode Island,probably made an even larger contribution to this tradition by advocatingand allowing complete religious freedom. William Penn also contributed tothis idea in Pennsylvania, where the Quakers were tolerant of otherdenominations. In addition to the tradition of religious tolerance in thecolonies, there was a tradition of self-government and popular involvementin government. Nearly every colony had a government with electedrepresentatives in a legislature, which usually made laws largely withoutinterference from Parliament or the king. Jamestown, the earli...

USS Oregon (BB-3) in the Spanish-American War

USS Oregon (BB-3) in the Spanish-American War In 1889, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy proposed a large 15-year building program consisting of 35 battleships and 167 other vessels. This plan had been devised by a policy board that Tracy convened on July 16 which sought to build upon the shift to armored cruisers and battleships that had begun with USS Maine (ACR-1) and USS Texas (1892). Of the battleships, Tracy wished ten to be long-range and capable of 17 knots with a steaming radius of 6,200 miles. These would serve as a deterrent to enemy action and be capable of attacking targets abroad. The remainder were to be of coastal defense designs with a speed of 10 knots and a range of 3,100 miles. With shallower drafts and more limited range, the board intended for these vessels to operate in North American waters and the Caribbean. Design Concerned that the program signaled the end of American isolationism and the embracing of imperialism, the US Congress declined to move forward with Tracys plan in its entirety. Despite this early setback, Tracy continued to lobby and in 1890 funding was allocated   for the building of three 8,100-ton coastal battleships, a cruiser, and torpedo boat. The initial designs for the coastal battleships called for a main battery of four 13 guns and a secondary battery of rapid-fire 5 guns. When the Bureau of Ordnance proved unable to produce the 5 guns, they were replaced with a mixture of 8 and 6 weapons. For protection, the initial plans called for the vessels to possess a 17 thick armor belt and 4 of deck armor. As the the design evolved, the main belt was thickened to 18 and consisted of Harvey armor. This was a type of steel armor in which the front surfaces of the plates were case hardened. Propulsion for the ships came from two vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines generating around 9,000 hp and turning two propellers. Power for these engines was provided by four double-ended Scotch boilers and the vessels could achieve a top speed around 15 knots. Construction Authorized on June 30, 1890, the three ships of the Indiana-class, USS Indiana (BB-1), USS Massachusetts (BB-2), and USS Oregon (BB-3), represented the US Navys first modern battleships. The first two ships were assigned to William Cramp Sons in Philadelphia and the yard offered to build the third. This was declined as Congress required that the third be built on the West Coast. As a result, construction of Oregon, excluding guns and armor, was assigned to Union Iron Works in San Francisco. Laid down on November 19, 1891, work moved forward and two years later the hull was ready to enter the war. Launched on October 26, 1893, Oregon slid down the ways with Miss Daisy Ainsworth, daughter of Oregon steamboat magnate John C. Ainsworth, serving as sponsor. An additional three years were required to finish Oregon due to delays in producing the armor plate for the vessels defenses. Finally completed, the battleship commenced its sea trials in May 1896. During testing, Oregon achieved a top speed of 16.8 knots which exceeded its design requirements and made it slightly faster than its sisters. USS Oregon (BB-3) - Overview: Nation: United StatesType: BattleshipShipyard: Union Iron WorksLaid Down: November 19, 1891Launched: October 26, 1893Commissioned: July 15, 1896Fate: Scrapped in 1956 Specifications Displacement: 10,453 tonsLength: 351 ft., 2 in.Beam: 69 ft., 3 in.Draft: 27 ft.Propulsion: 2 x vertical inverted triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 4 x double ended Scotch boilers, 2 x propellersSpeed: 15 knotsRange: 5,600 miles at 15 knotsComplement: 473 men Armament Guns 4 Ãâ€" 13 guns (2Ãâ€"2)8 Ãâ€" 8 guns (4Ãâ€"2)4 Ãâ€" 6 guns removed 190812 Ãâ€" 3 guns added 191020 Ãâ€" 6-pounders Early Career: Commissioned on July 15, 1896, with Captain Henry L. Howison in command, Oregon commenced fitting out for duty on the Pacific Station. The first battleship on the West Coast, it commenced routine peacetime operations. During this period, Oregon, like Indiana and Massachusetts, suffered from stability problems due to the fact that the vessels main turrets were not centrally balanced. To correct this issue, Oregon entered dry dock in late 1897 to have bilge keels installed. As workers completed this project, word arrived of the loss of USS Maine in Havana harbor. Departing dry dock on February 16, 1898, Oregon steamed for San Francisco to load ammunition. With relations between Spain and the United States quickly deteriorating, Captain Charles E. Clark received orders on March 12 instructing him to bring the battleship to the East Coast to reinforce the North Atlantic Squadron. Racing to the Atlantic: Putting to sea on March 19, Oregon began the 16,000-mile voyage by steaming south to Callao, Peru. Reaching the city on April 4, Clark paused to re-coal before pressing on to the Straits of Magellan. Encountering severe weather, Oregon moved through the narrow waters and joined the gunboat USS Marietta at Punta Arenas. The two ships then sailed for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Arriving on April 30, they learned that the Spanish-American War had begun. Continuing north, Oregon made a brief stop at Salvador, Brazil before taking on coal at Barbados. On May 24, the battleship anchored off Jupiter Inlet, FL having completed its journey from San Francisco in sixty-six days. Though the voyage captured the imagination of the American public, it demonstrated the need for the construction of the Panama Canal. Moving to Key West, Oregon joined Rear Admiral William T. Sampsons North Atlantic Squadron. Spanish-American War: Days after Oregon arrived, Sampson received word from Commodore Winfield S. Schley that the Admiral Pascual Cerveras Spanish fleet was in port at Santiago de Cuba. Departing Key West, the squadron reinforced Schley on June 1 and the combined force commenced a blockade of the harbor. Later that month, American troops under Major General William Shafter landed near Santiago at Daiquirà ­ and Siboney. Following the American victory at San Juan Hill on July 1, Cerveras fleet came under threat from American guns overlooking the harbor. Planning a breakout, he sortied with his ships two days later. Racing from the port, Cervera initiated the running Battle of Santiago de Cuba. Playing a key role in the fighting, Oregon ran down and destroyed the modern cruiser Cristobal Colon. With the fall of Santiago, Oregon steamed to New York for a refit. Later Service: With the completion of this work, Oregon departed for the Pacific with Captain Albert Barker in command. Re-circling South America, the battleship received orders to support American forces during the Philippine Insurrection. Arriving in Manila in March 1899, Oregon remained in the archipelago for eleven months. Leaving the Philippines, the ship operated in Japanese waters before putting into Hong Kong in May. On June 23, Oregon sailed for Taku, China to aid in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion. Five days after leaving Hong Kong, the ship struck a rock in the Changshan Islands. Sustaining heavy damage, Oregon was refloated and entered dry dock at Kure, Japan for repairs. On August 29, the ship steamed for Shanghai where it remained until May 5, 1901. With the end of operations in China, Oregon re-crossed the Pacific and entered Puget Sound Navy Yard for an overhaul. In the yard for over a year, Oregon underwent major repairs before sailing for San Francisco on September 13, 1902. Returning to China in March 1903, the battleship spent the next three years in the Far East protecting American interests. Ordered home in 1906, Oregon arrived at Puget Sound for modernization. Decommissioned on April 27, work soon commenced. Out of commission for five years, Oregon was reactivated on August 29, 1911 and assigned to the Pacific reserve fleet. Though modernized, the battleships small size and relative lack of firepower still rendered it obsolete. Placed in active service that October, Oregon spent the next three years operating on the West Coast. Passing in and out of reserve status, the battleship took part in the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and the 1916 Rose Festival in Portland, OR. World War II Scrapping: In April 1917, with the United States entry into World War I, Oregon was re-commissioned and commenced operations on the West Coast. In 1918, the battleship escorted transports west during the Siberian Intervention. Returning to Bremerton, WA, Oregon was decommissioned on June 12, 1919. In 1921, a movement began to preserve the ship as museum in Oregon. This came to fruition in June 1925 after Oregon was disarmed as part of the Washington Naval Treaty. Moored at Portland, the battleship served as a museum and memorial. Redesignated IX-22 on February 17, 1941, Oregons fate changed the following year. With American forces fighting World War II it was determined that the ships scrap value was vital to the war effort. As a result, Oregon was sold on December 7, 1942 and taken to Kalima, WA for scrapping. Work progressed on dismantling Oregon during 1943. As the scrapping moved forward, the US Navy requested that it be halted after it reached the main deck and the interior cleared out. Reclaiming the empty hull, the US Navy intended to use it as a storage hulk or breakwater during the 1944 reconquest of Guam. In July 1944, Oregons hull was loaded with ammunition and explosives and towed to the Marianas. It remained at Guam until November 14-15, 1948, when it broke loose during a typhoon. Located following the storm, it was returned to Guam where it stayed until being sold for scrap in March 1956.

Carbohydrate Loading Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Carbohydrate Loading - Assignment Example Under normal circumstances the energy requirement of the body is met by carbohydrate and fats however, for athletes undergoing strenuous training the main source of energy is carbohydrates which help in the working out of muscles. An athlete is at the peak of his performance as long as his body has enough carbohydrate to supply to his muscles in use. Once this storage of carbohydrates depletes and is completely exhausted, the body starts to use up the fats to provide energy. Therefore, it is crucial for athletes, especially those who are engaged in strenuous sports like marathon, to have enough carbohydrate storage during the entire run and this is where carbohydrate loading comes in. Glycogen Supercompensation is the scientific terminology for Carbohydrate Loading. It is the process through which the glycogen level in the muscles maybe increased by 60% through proper training and diet. Thus, the increased levels of glycogen reserves in the muscles mean that the athlete can now perform his best for a longer period of time without fatiguing his muscles and performing poorly. All carbohydrate loading methods have two stages- Carbohydrate depletion stage and Carbohydrate replenishment stage. I have selected the second method of carbohydrate loading and I shall provide a day-to-day guide. This method stretches over a week and must be started 1 week before the sports event. Like all other methods, this method also has two stages, i.e. the depletion of carbohydrates during which glycogen synthesizing enzymes are stimulated and the increasing of glycogen in particular muscles. It must be remembered that carbohydrate foods with low glycemic index must be taken because they stimulate the enzyme-glycogen synthetase, which is responsible for glycogen storage. Hydrating the body is important because for each gram of stored glycogen there must be 3-4grams of stored water. Two

The debt ceiling Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The debt ceiling - Term Paper Example This happened since the government did not want a repeat of 2001 fiscal crisis, which was because of the Congress refusing to raise the debt ceiling. However, raising the debt ceiling has driven the national debt to wanting levels; $14.3 trillions. In my opinion the debt ceiling should be raise, but as a short-term measure. This is because failure to raise the ceiling would have consequences. The first consequence is that the government may be unable to pay its workforce their salaries. This may lead to unrest in the country. Secondly, the government may default on what it owes other creditors, for examples, holders of government securities. These are monies in terms of bonds’ principal and interest. This would result to the US government having a bad credit rating. Government securities’ risk would go up causing the rate of interest attached to them going up. As a result, the cost of capital in the entire economy would go up thus increasing the cost of doing business. This in turn would lead to economic growth slowing down (Allen, 2012). Thirdly, foreign investors might lose faith to the US government thus refusing to lend to it. They may also sell their US government’s securities. This, in turn, may lead to the dollar losing value against the world currencies. All these may compound the situation and return the economy back to recession (Allen, 2012). Additionally, other conditions should accompany the raising of the debt ceiling. These should be long-term measures. First, the government should cut spending on unproductive activities such as wars and defense. These are some of the government expenses, which do not add value to the economy. Cutting spending on these activities would reduce the budget deficit, which would enable the government to lower the debt ceiling in future. Finally, the government should increase taxes on corporate and the rich to reasonable rates that should not hurt the economy. This too would help in reducing the budget

This Whole System is wrong Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

This Whole System is wrong - Case Study Example Any employers or organizations that violate those measures are at risk of being punished severely through the imposing of sanctions and other punitive measures. These sanctions may lead to the boycott of our products and consequently a decline in profitability. Apart from the threat posed by sanctions, you are aware that our company has built a good name for itself because of its quality products and good public relations. The issue of poor working conditions in our factories in China might just mess up our reputation and put us at loggerheads with governments and customers. I believe that this is a price that would be too high for the company to pay, considering we can institute reforms in those factories and make it better for workers there. At the same time, I would like to ask for a second look at the ages of some of the workers in those factories. Child labor is illegal, and the employment of underage workers may be detrimental to our hopes for growth and long-term plans. I trust in your ability to make the right call because you have proven yourself as an able, visionary and pragmatic leader. Let us try to balance our ambitions with our methods, because sometimes the end does not usually justify the

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 396

Assignment Example There are two issues that come out clearly in this case. Quon’s, Duke, boss tells him there would be no need to carry out an audit of the text messages as long as he paid the overages. On the other hand, the OPD makes it clear that none of the pager messages would be private. Quon went ahead to make an assumption that his boss’ pronouncements could override he provisions of the OPD. No part of the OPD provisions indicate that an employee’s pronouncements were superior to documented OPD provisions. Quon thus wrongfully expected privacy due to a mere fact his boss had promised not to audit the messages so long as he paid the overages. Such a pronouncement, therefore, does not suspend the OPD provisions. That renders Quon culpable. If the case had involved an employer-supplied device other than a pager, it surely would have been decided the differently. The OPD provisions are very particular/specific on the device involved. It only refers to the pager text message as not being private. If a device had been involved other than the pager, the provision wouldn’t have applied. The case would have been decided differently. Quon demand for privacy would have been validated. Auditing text messages is obviously less intrusive than phone wiretapping. This is because in the case of auditing text messages, the device user is made aware of the need to carry out an audit. In the case of phone wiretapping, the user’s device such as telephone is covertly monitored. This is considered unlawful in most cases. Phone wiretapping is more intrusive than carrying out an audit of the messages. There is no broad ground for determining Quon’s case. There a number of technical aspects of the case, all of which must be weighed. If the broadly applicable rules for electronic communication had been applied in determining the case, the court would have looked at how Quon’s use of the work device for other personal communication had affected his use of