Abraham Lincoln Bio Essay

Since his death in 1865, Abraham Lincoln has been immortalized as one of, if not the greatest hero in American history due to his role in ending the Civil War and abolishing slavery. He led our country through its’ darkest days and was able to prevent the south from successfully seceding and preserving the United States. Throughout history many have been called heroes, some deservedly and others not. Lincoln’s recognition as a hero is valid because of his many achievements and his leadership style. Lincoln was born in February 1809, in Kentucky. His early life was difficult, losing his mother to illness at 9 years old. The family was poor and Lincoln needed to work to help support them. As a result, he had very little formal education, but it was this hard work and humble beginnings that ignited the spark in Lincoln to learn. When he was a young man the family moved to Illinois and it was there that Lincoln learned the law and became interested in local politics. In 183 4 he was elected to the Illinois State Legislature. He taught himself the law, was admitted to the Bar in 1836 and also began a career as a successful lawyer. Between 1847 and 1849 he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result of the increased opposition to slavery, the Republican Party was born and Lincoln joined the party in 1856. It was his anti-slavery views and the continuing passing of laws to protect slavery that further sparked his interest in politics. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate but obtain national exposure from the race due to his unique communication and debating techniques. It was this exposure that found him as a candidate for President in 1860. He was elected the 16th President of the United States and the first President from the Republican Party. Because of his well-known views on slavery, the  secessionists began their plans to split from the Union prior to his taking office. The Civil Was began in April of 1861 with the attack on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Almost immediately in his role as President, Lincoln was faced with the most challenging situation of any President prior to him. His decision-making and communication skills, though unpopular at times, would be a vital part of his success over the next several years. Lincoln possessed strong social intelligence skills. He was sensitive to other people’s feelings and moods, and he was particularly adept at reading people. Lincoln had a great ability in understanding the motivations of others, and was skillful at getting others to cooperate with him. He knew to be pleasant and approachable while also being fierce when fighting for causes he believed in. One tool that Lincoln would use was storytelling. He would use stories from his past which would put people at ease while at the same time relaying his point in a clear way. Another method he would use was to ask questions to get his rivals to see things his way. His communication style and speeches were simple and logical. Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech was the Gettysburg Address given in 1863 at the dedication of the National Cemetery after the battle at Gettysburg. The speech last just over two minutes and was an example of how Lincoln understood his audience. There had been much â€Å"Pomp and Circumstance† throughout the ceremony and many long speeches prior to his. The words he chose were short and to the point, but were full of inspiration and emotion. The speech focused on the principles of the founding fathers of our nation and the words from the Declaration of Independence that â€Å"all men are created equal† and that all men have the unalienable rights to the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. One of the main things Lincoln wanted to accomplish with this speech, was to rally support for the 13th Amendment, which would abolish slavery and was in jeopardy of failing to pass in Congress. Lincoln again used his influence as a communicator to get the 13th Amendment passed. He would spend hours with his political rivals building relationships. It was important that he understood their perspectives on the issues and would give them the opportunity to express their views and needs. His approach was thoughtful and personal. This bill was met with much opposition and it took great skill and tenacity on Lincoln’s part to insure its passage. Many Presidents since Lincoln have also faced challenges when trying to pass  legislature, among them our current President Barack Obama. Whether or not you are a supporter of our current President aside, some similarities can be seen between the two. As was the case with Lincoln, Obama is known for his listening skills, and taking in ideas from all sides. He is a skilled orator and there is a strong sense of morality in his tone when speaking. There are many references to President Lincoln in Obama’s speeches which show the influence the former President has on him. Abraham Lincoln led our nation through one of its most turbulent times. He used his communication skills and understanding of people to obtain success. His ability to talk to people and understand what they stood for while moving them to see things his way led him to be regarded as one of our greatest Presidents. References A-E Networks. Abraham lincoln – biography [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lincolns/player/ Hubbard, C. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historynet.com/abraham-lincoln Communicate like Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved from:http://www.communitelligence.com/blps/article.cfm?weblog The Connections Between President Barack Obama and President Abraham Lincoln (n.d.)Retrieved from: http://www.reobama.com/ObamaLincoln.htm House passes the 13th Amendment. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/house-passes-the-13th-amendment

Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Constitution - Essay Example It has become a fundamental right that is universally recognized by the courts and public alike. Under this presumption, defendants are entitled to a presumption of innocence. Defendants do not have to prove their innocence. The government must establish guilt ‘beyond a reasonable doubt.’ This right and others are outlined in four Amendments, the Fourth which protects against searches and seizures without benefit of a court warrant, in addition to the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth. These aforementioned four Amendments are essential to the U.S. criminal justice system functioning as the framers of the Constitution envisioned it. (Twining v. New Jersey, 1908). The Fifth Amendment guarantees the defendant’s right to ‘due process of law’ and from being subjected to ‘double jeopardy’ or testifying against themselves. Double jeopardy means being put on trial twice for the same offense (U.S. Department of State, 2001). The ‘Miranda Rightsâ€℠¢ are covered by the Fifth Amendment. The Eighth Amendment prohibits courts assessing ‘excessive bail’ and implementing ‘cruel and unusual punishments.’ It is the Sixth Amendment that offers the most protection for citizens. Defendants are guaranteed the right to a ‘speedy trial’ and an ‘impartial jury’ by the Sixth Amendment. ... Today, the courts interpret this Sixth Amendment right to include appointing an attorney for defendants that can’t pay for one. Prior to the Gideon v. Wainwright ruling in 1963, courts had generally understood that legal representation would be appointed in special situations only such as when the defendant was not capable of comprehending the charges brought against them because of a mental deficiency. This was accepted as being fair and just but disregarded the indigent who could not afford legal counsel. Gideon was a compelling affirmation that both groups, those that could not understand the charges and those that did not have the financial means to retain counsel, were at equal disadvantage and that all citizens had a fundamental right to be represented by legal counsel. â€Å"The underpinning of Gideon is the notion that a fair trial requires a balance of power, and to the extent that the government spends money in support of the prosecution, it should also spend money on defense† (Black, 1963). The Bill of Rights does not include specific or even ambiguous instructions regarding victim protections. Interestingly, the Sixth Amendment, which outlines the most important rights for the defendant also addresses rights, of sorts, for the victim. Because this Amendment stipulates that the defendant be â€Å"confronted with the witnesses against him† (â€Å"Bill of Rights†) it allows for victims to confront the person who wronged them. The accused must be able to confront their accuser which cannot happen unless, of course, the victim confronts the accused. Confronting the person who perpetrated the crime is therapeutic for the victim and is a practice that has grown in popularity in recent years. The First Amendment

Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Story - Essay Example However, upon arrival in America in 1855, Fernando directed Chilam to the city of California in the gold mines. The journey took 10 months since they were new to America and pretended to be cow boys. Their lifestyle in America was pathetic since they were immigrants in America. Therefore, they had to obey and withstand all the frustrations at the gold mines. Chilam survived the invasion of the intruders who killed his Chinese friends and left him hopeless. All was not lost since he remained with a good amount of gold when his friends were murdered. Over time, he opened a gold refinery firm that grew to larger heights attracting the American government into his business in San Francisco. After some years, Chilam’s gold mines grew into a larger investment and became popular in the West coast side of America. He signed an agreement with the government to incorporate him as part of the Golden Spike ceremony that involved the railroad project. This involved creation of last four spikes of gold in America. This meant that two golden spikes would come from San Francisco, silvered spike from Nevada and one from Arizona full of iron, silver and gold. Chilam opted for the last golden spike that was placed into the railroad that connected Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad (California digital Newspaper collection, 34). In conclusion, it is evident hat the journey of Chilam to richness was tough but had a soft landing. This is evident from displacement of their family and friend s in Mexico to a new land of opportunities in

Critically evaluate current neo-liberal education policies, in Essay

Critically evaluate current neo-liberal education policies, in relation to forcing some schools to become academies. Do you thin - Essay Example This paper shall briefly discuss what neoliberalism is and how it impacts educational policies in the United Kingdom. It will then dwell on the issue of forcing some identified low performing schools to become academies. The Academies programme is part of the New Labour Coalition government’s efforts to improve the educational climate of schools. This paper shall evaluate if students’ educational attainment had indeed improve with the implementation of their educational policies. Educational Policies in the UK Ball (2008) summarizes the history of educational reform policies from the 1800’s. The early education policy was drafted to respond to the various needs of social classes, namely, to manage the new urban working class and to give the new middle class a chance to realize their aspirations. Next policy came in the mid 1990’s which found divisions within the public education systems culminating in the creation of comprehensive schools. Ball continues o n to the third prominent policy period from the last quarter of the 90’s wherein the New Right attempted to dismantle the welfare state and stress the importance of individual choice in education. Finally, the current policy reform was put into place under Tony Blair’s New Labour party from the late 90’s, advocating for a â€Å"competition state† taking practices from businesses into education. This current policy reform under the New Labour government is greatly influenced by neoliberal ideology. Ball (2008) criticizes the â€Å"policy overload† (p.2) as a manifestation of politicians creating an image for themselves that they are being proactive in their role as well as succumbing to pressures of globalization. Neoliberalism Neoliberalism was borne out of Adam Smith’s advocacy of classic liberalism as well as the concept of man, society and economics (Clarke, 2005). At its earliest stages, neoliberalism was viewed as an entirely new framew ork for managing the economy and drafting policies, which make up a capitalist society. Neoliberalism is associated with a set of political beliefs that strongly uphold the state’s purpose of safeguarding individuals specifically commercial, liberty and even their property rights (Nozick, 1974). It respects independent thinking of individuals enough to liberate them or minimize its hold on them and any transgression by the state beyond its purpose of safeguarding them is not acceptable (Harvey, 2005) Freely adopted market mechanisms are believed to be the right way of organizing exchanges of goods and services (Norberg, 2001) because it releases the creative potentials and entrepreneurial nature of people. In turn, it leads to more individual liberty and well-being and a more efficient allocation of resources (Rothbard, 2004). Munck (2005) argued that when government agencies intervene, it is almost always undesirable because it disturbs the natural rhythm of the marketplace, thus reducing its efficiency. Neoliberal Educational Policies Applied to education, neoliberals saw students as global capital and valued according to the skills they have gained to be contributory in the global marketplace. Hence, they should be invested upon and be trained to be competitive in order to bring out the best in them (DenBesten, et

Learning Theories Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Theories - Research Paper Example Because of that, different types of learning methods are prevailing among people. Different scholars and psychologists have formulated different learning theories after comprehensive researches and studies. â€Å"Although there is no acceptable definition of learning, a generally accepted definition of learning is any relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.1). Learning is a process and a product at the same time. Many of the psychologists defined learning as a change in behavior. It is a fact that all the people behave in a particular way based on their knowledge level. For example, a person who has completed college education may behave more diplomatically than a person who has not completed college education. In other words, learning makes lot of behavioral changes in a person’s life. ... Customization of these learning theories is necessary for a student to learn the topics properly. In other words, every student should have a customized learning strategy or theory in order to learn the topics properly. This paper describes my ideas of â€Å"the best learning environment† and supports it using the theoretical perspectives of what defines the "best of" in education. Learning Theory and its importance â€Å"Learning is a personal act. We each place our own personal stamp on how we learn, what we learn and when we learn. How we learn is a question that begs the answer--based on learning theory† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.2). As mentioned earlier, no two individuals are alike in their learning methods. Different people use different methods for learning a particular topic. The awareness about different learning theories will definitely help the educators in providing customized learning environments for each student. For example, brighter students may require more complex assignments whereas average or below average students may require simple assignments in order to help them in their learning process. â€Å"Learning theories are the basic raw materials, which are applied in training activities. It is, therefore, essential that the trainer understand the learning theories so that he or she can design the effective training program† (Chowdhury, 2006, p.6). It is important for the educator to know how a particular subject can be taught well in a class. For that purpose different learning theories may help. For example, many learning theories suggest that motivation is required for the students to learn a particular topic well. In order

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used Essay

Outline and evaluate the negotiating skills you have used - Essay Example Specified means of negotiations can be utilized in numerous situations, be it in legal systems, industrial disputes, government, or domestic relationships. General negotiation skills are learned and applied in an extensive range of activities to resolve any difference that arise in a work place. I was working in the United Credit Bank in Azerbaijan, during my internship, where I used to deal with the reporting process. On several occasions, I used my negotiation skills to be permitted to make some significant changes in my reports. However, it could have been more successful if I could have identified these issues prior to producing the report, so I wouldn’t need to enquire from my manager to give me permission for making the changes in the reports. As much as the idea was not viewed negatively by my manager, I realized that I could have behaved in a more successful way. Some of the negotiating skills I used include the following: Preparation First, I used to prepare myself fo r the negotiations by deciding on when and where I would meet my manager after writing my reports. At this stage, I also used to limit the time I could use when asking her of any issues to prevent any disagreement and unnecessary conversations between the two of us. I always made sure that I have gone through my reports especially those concerning any monetary records to be fully aware of the facts so that it could be easier for me to clarify my position to the manager. In this context, I specifically went through the rules and regulations of the bank and made sure they were on my fingertips to prove that I had not violated any policy. By this, my boss could not spend much time trying to clarify information that she expected I was familiar with (Nadler, 2003). Analyzing the problem As a bank employee at that time, I had to ensure that my internship become successful, hence I took my time to determine what my manager really expected of me. Before I could approach her, I used to analy ze the issues in my reports, especially in record keeping so that both our interests could not disagree. I often detailed by analysis by identifying the interested parties, such as the manager herself, the auditor, and other executives, and spot out the issues they could have criticized. However, sometimes I could not single out the real issues as required. Active listening during discussions Putting in mind that I often did not spot out the actual issues of concern, I could forward my cases exactly the way I saw them. Major skills used here included questioning, clarifying, and listening to my manager. Sometimes I could take notes as she explained to record important points put forward just in case I needed more clearing up. Nevertheless, it came to my notice that I rarely applied this skill efficiently because I tented to concentrate more on noting than listening. This led to hardships at some points as she could end up talking too much than I expected and that I never got an equa l chance to present my case as she always did. Another impact I noted when I seemed to write much and listen less was that I failed to notice her body language, which could have enabled me to know if she was happy with my questions or if she demonstrated something important. She could at times forbid me from writing and use my pen to illustrate her point by rectifying the issues in my reports, and this is when I often concentrated. Control of emotions The United Credit Bank of Azerbaijan is a large bank with many daily activities and

How did WWII change America and the World Essay Example for Free

How did WWII change America and the World Essay The World War II remains the bloodiest and deadliest crisis in world history. It involved the best ever battle lines, enormous armed forces, along with the most destructive weapons in the history of the world (Martel 245). The worldwide disagreement that was regarded as or labelled World War II emanated from the 1930s great depression, a turmoil that undermined, destabilized and weakened economies, governments’ and nations around the world. For instance, in Germany, the rise of Hitler occurred partially because he alleged to be capable of transforming a destabilized Germany by then to an autonomous economic and military power that could control its destiny not only in Europe, but in the entire world as well (Martel 240). This paper therefore explores how this global conflict (WWII) changed America and the entire world. For the US, World War II constituted the most significant fiscal event of the 20th century (Higgs 53). The war’s consequences on the United States were diverse and far-reaching. It indomitably ended the great depression, and the US federal government came out from the war as a possible economic actor, capable of regulating fiscal activity and to partly control the world economy via spending and consumption. What’s more, the wartime economic explosion spurred and promoted a number of social trends. First was the job creation that paralleled the growth of industrial production, in so doing, attained what Roosevelt’s New Deal programs had been incapable to achieve (Rindfuss, Morgan Swicegood 86). According to Higgs (58), in 1940, there were more than eight million unemployed Americans. However, by 1941, unemployment became a thing of the past. There were in fact labour shortages in numerous industries. Consequently, federal inspectors did ignore laws deterring employment of women and children (Martel 250). With little or no public outcry, several high school dropouts escalated substantially. Also, several women were absorbed in the workforce to assist make implements and munitions of war. These women were later nicknamed ‘Rosie the Riveter’ and were pivotal part of the US success in war (Martel 251). Additionally, the WWII revitalized American industries, and a lot of sectors were by the end of the war (1945) either brusquely oriented to defence production (for instance, electronics and aerospace) or entirely dependent on atomic energy (Rindfuss, Morgan Swicegood 82). The organised labour unions were as well strengthened far beyond the depression period and became a key counter-balance to both private and government industry. Given the fact that novel employment took place in unionized workplaces, plus industries funded by the American government, the continuance of membership decision during World War II was a magnificent advantage for organized labour (Rindfuss, Morgan Swicegood 84). As a result, organized labour increased from ten million in 1941 to approximately fifteen million by 1945. Also, about thirty six percent of the work-force in non-agricultural sector was unionized, recording the highest percentage ever in American history. Similarly, the war’s speedy technological and scientific changes continued and deepened trends commenced during the great depression and shaped lasting anticipation of continued novelty on the part of several engineers, citizens and government officials. Besides, the significant increases in individual income as well as quality of life throughout the war resulted in a number of Americans foreseeing permanent improvements to their material needs (Rindfuss, Morgan Swicegood 85). That said, the World War II brought to an end the godless Nazi regime plus their murder machine. It as well wrecked Japan’s control over Pacific, thereby ushering in the atomic age (Martel 255). Europe that had been under authoritarian Nazi boot became under the Communist boot. Besides, the war led to medicine improvements in the world, particularly in the use of antibiotics. New-fangled forms of occupational and physical therapy to assist returning veterans and wounded soldiers were as well invented and used. What’s more, the work of individuals, such as von Braun in the Second World War greatly transformed world technology, especially rocket technology, which became a major focus during Cold War (Neufeld 164). The dramatic transformations in military technology resulted in changes to operational and tactical skills. Stanovov (1) asserted that all contemporary warfare grew from the concepts which first came from 1939-1945. The actions of pooled units, close relations of dissimilar armed services, the greatly escalated significance of radio-electronic warfare, strategic bombings, psychological and mass information warfare, to mention just some factors. The World War II became in fact total in psychological, technical and informational senses, radically transforming the prerequisites to logistical support. Moreover, it spectacularly changed the balance between small and large economies in the world platform. Whilst previously the disparity between the armed forces of a small and large country was largely quantitative, with WW2 it became qualitative, as a few nations in the world could manage to create fully-fledged nuclear-era armed forces (Stanovov 1). Finally, every great conflict, especially concerning great allies and axis, brings something unique to the art of warfare. But Second World War was outstanding in that respect. The changes in the hardware, equipment, structure and the way military forces were utilized were unique both in their significance and scope. Even WWI that first witnessed major use of war tanks, submarines and planes had never brought to fore such massive change to the world.