An Overview of the Gold Rush essays

An Overview of the Gold Rush essays California has always been associated with cutting edge development and ideas. For over a century and a half it has been the leader of what the rest of the country follows. No single event has been as groundbreaking (literally and metaphorically) as the Gold Rush of 1849. This historic event single-handedly connected the East to the West in what proved to be the perfect model of expansion. It was what brought hundreds of thousands of Americans and immigrants alike to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of California. To fully understand the history of the Goldrush, one must know what was actually happening before the lure of gold overwhelmed the country. In 1844, John C. Fremont ordered the U.S. Army to lead a scientific expedition to California. During a second trip in 1846, he encouraged ranchers located in northern area to revolt. These events lead to the seizure of Sonoma and the proclamation of a republic. The flag that they raised that year was a figure of a bear. It was not yet known that the Mexican War had started and that troops had been sent to quall the battles. According to the New Standard Encyclopedia, there was little fighting in the north, and the south was taken quickly under the forces of General Stephen W. Kearny and Commodore Robert F. Stockton (C38a). In 1849, Mexico ceded California to the United States. (New Standard Encyclopedia C-38 and C38a) One of the most little understood men of the gold rush, John Augustus Sutter, had fled from Switzerland to avoid his debtors in the mid 1800s. Abandoning his family and friends he came to America in hopes of making it big and making a fortune. In July of 1839 he arrived in California and acquired a land grant from the Mexican government. He dreamed of one day owning a vast empire of agricultural lands. It was a dream that ultimately ruined him. According to a biography done on him by California State Library, he built Sutters Fort ...

American Civil War - Battle of Oak Grove

American Civil War - Battle of Oak Grove Battle of Oak Grove - Conflict Date: The Battle of Oak Grove was fought June 25, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Armies Commanders: Union Major General George B. McClellan3 brigades Confederate General Robert E. Lee1 division Battle of Oak Grove - Background: After constructing the Army of the Potomac in the summer and fall of 1861, Major General George B. McClellan commenced planning his offensive against Richmond for the following spring.   To take the Confederate capital, he intended to sail his men down the Chesapeake Bay to the Union base at Fortress Monroe.   Concentrating there, the army would advance up the Peninsula between the York and James Rivers to Richmond.   This shift south would permit him to bypass Confederate forces in northern Virginia and would allow US Navy warships move up both rivers to protect his flanks and help supply the army.   This part of the operation was shelved in early March 1862 when the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia struck Union naval forces at the Battle of Hampton Roads. Though the danger posed by Virginia was offset by the arrival of the ironclad USS Monitor, efforts to blockade the Confederate warship drew off Union naval strength.   Slowing marching up the Peninsula in April, McClellan was fooled by Confederate forces into laying siege to Yorktown for much of the month.   Finally continuing the advance in early May, Union forces clashed with the Confederates at Williamsburg before driving on Richmond.   As the army neared the city, McClellan was struck by General Joseph E. Johnston at Seven Pines on May 31. Though the fighting was inconclusive, it resulted in Johnston being severely wounded and command of the Confederate army ultimately passed to General Robert E. Lee. For the next few weeks, McClellan remained inactive in front of Richmond allowing Lee to improve the citys defenses and plan a counterattack. Battle of Oak Grove - Plans: Assessing the situation, Lee realized that McClellan was forced to divide his army north and south of Chickahominy River in order to protect his supply lines back to White House, VA on the Pamunkey River.   As a result, he devised an offensive that sought to defeat one wing of the Union army before the other could move to provide aid.   Shifting troops into place, Lee intended to attack on June 26.   Alerted that Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons command would soon reinforce Lee and that enemy offensive action was likely, McClellan sought to retain the initiative by striking west towards Old Tavern.   Taking the heights in the area would permit his siege guns to strike at Richmond.   To accomplish this mission, McClellan planned to attack along the Richmond York Railroad in the north and at Oak Grove in the south. Battle of Oak Grove - III Corps Advances: The execution of the assault at Oak Grove fell to the divisions of Brigadier Generals Joseph Hooker and Philip Kearny from Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelmans III Corps.   From these commands, the brigades of Brigadier Generals Daniel Sickles,  Cuvier Grover, and John C. Robinson were to leave their earthworks, pass through a small but dense wooded area, and then strike the Confederate lines held by the division of Brigadier General Benjamin Huger.   Direct command of the forces involved fell to Heintzelman as McClellan preferred to coordinate the action by telegraph from his headquarters in the rear.   At 8:30 AM, the three Union brigades commenced their advance.   While Grover and Robinsons brigades encountered few problems, Sickles men had trouble clearing the abatis in front of their lines and then were slowed by the difficult terrain at the headwaters of White Oak Swamp (Map). Battle of Oak Grove - A Stalemate Ensues:               Sickles issues led to the brigade falling out of alignment with those to the south.   Recognizing an opportunity, Huger directed Brigadier General Ambrose Wright to advance with his brigade and mount a counterattack against Grover.   Approaching the enemy, one of his Georgia regiments caused confusion among Grovers men as they wore red Zouave uniforms which were thought to only be used by some Union troops.   As Wrights men halted Grover, Sickles brigade was repulsed by Brigadier General Robert Ransoms men to the north.   With his attack stalling, Heintzelman requested reinforcements from McClellan and informed the army commander of the situation.    Unaware of the specifics of the fighting, McClellan ordered those engaged to withdraw back to their lines at 10:30 AM and departed his headquarters to inspect the battlefield personally.   Arriving around 1:00 PM, he found the situation better than anticipated and ordered Heintzelman to renew the attack.   Union troops moved forward and regained some ground but became entangled in an inconclusive fire fight that lasted until nightfall.   In the course of the battle, McClellans men only managed to advance about 600 yards. Battle of Oak Grove - Aftermath: McClellans final offensive effort against Richmond, the fighting at the Battle of Oak Grove saw Union forces suffer 68 killed, 503 wounded, and 55 missing while Huger incurred  66 killed, 362 wounded, and 13 missing.   Undeterred by the Union thrust, Lee moved forward with his planned offensive the next day.   Attacking at Beaver Dam Creek, his men were ultimately turned back.   A day later, they succeeded in dislodging Union troops at Gaines Mill.   Beginning with Oak Grove, a week of constant fighting, dubbed the Seven Days Battles, saw McClellan driven back to the James River at Malvern Hill and his campaign against Richmond defeated.       Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Seven Days BattlesCWSAC Battle Summaries: Oak GroveHistory of War: Battle of Oak Grove

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States Essay

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States - Essay Example Gradually the Americans moved far into the west in search of fertile lands irrespective of being converts to Christianity or having religious freedom. They even began trading with the Indians, which led to several treaties with them. Inspite of these peace treaties war continued as the Indians hardly assumed to be bounded to treaties and the US government was loyal to its duty of protecting the movement towards the west. In 1848 San Francisco was a small region, which grew into a big city based on rapid commercialization, and industrialization while the mining industry became popularized. The move towards the west was initiated owing to a search for new and better opportunities in terms of land for farming and jobs to survive. The Midwest became the attractive zone for the settlers and the industrial revolution encouraged commercialization. The proprietors of the lands began to promote their commodities by proving adequate connectivity with the east. As the forest areas became reduce d in the east during 1849 the lumber industry moved westwards to Michigan and Minnesota. This would ensure they were not moving away from civilization. Again, the professions gradually shifted from farming to other activities like lumbering and mining. Industrial revolution brought about machineries, which saved labor, and farming became smoother.

Pestel Analysis, Political and Legal Factors Research Paper

Pestel Analysis, Political and Legal Factors - Research Paper Example This essay will therefore present a pestle analysis for college Hunks Hauling Junk Company. Political and Legal Factors The government has interests on how businesses are run. This interest is experienced through direct and indirect control of business by the government. Political and legal processes in a country are the main channels through which the government influences an industry. The government has interest in the running of business due to its social responsibilities. In particular, the federal government, local author and state governments have an interest in the junk industry due to their assumed responsibilities. The risks associated with the junk business are the main cause of government’s interest in the industry. Such risks are concerned with the safety of the employees as well as the environment. In response to the need of protecting the environment and people, the government has established the relevant legislations and policies. These laws and policies form th e legal factors that affect the industry. The Environment Protection Act was specifically established to protect the environment from harmful effects resulting from uncontrolled business practices. This Act has provisions that regulate waste management, recycling, and disposal. Such policies will have an effect to the company that will be felt through regulations on its business. Protection of employees from exploitation by employers is the responsibility of the government. The junk industry is labor intensive and therefore employees form a major part of junk companies. Employment laws of the United States are applied by the government to regulate employment with emphasis in protection of employees from exploitation. The company is therefore expected to be conversant with these laws and their implication in the business. The junk industry has disposal of wastes as a major part of their day-to-day operations. Companies in the junk industry are also involved with recycling as part of their strategic management. Recycling and disposal of waste are processes of interest to the authorities especially the local government. In response to the two activities, the government has established environment protection measures through relevant laws and policies. The legislations and policies are mainly concerned with the disposal and recycling of hazardous wastes. Due to its operation scale, College Hunks Hauling Company needs to consider these legislations and policies. Economic Factors Economic factors in an industry are factors that determine a business’s rate of success in the industry. These factors affect availability of capital, operation cost and the demand of a company’s products (Grant 95). Consumption is an important process in sustenance of business and therefore factors that affects people’s consumption affects business operations. The disposable income of a country gives a measure on how much the consumers are able and ready to spend at a particular time. The company will therefore be affected by the variations in the consumer’s consumption power resulting from the level of disposable income of a country. Currently, the United States’ level of disposable income per household is slightly above 10%. This is a significant figure compared to the current taxation rates and the spending rates experienced in previous years. The junk industry depends on the rate at which people replace their old and worn out

Effectiveness of Non-Executive Directors Essay -- Senior Management, N

The effectiveness of non-executive directors is becoming to be seen as critical for the contribution to the effectiveness of corporate governance in providing investor protection. Relevant situational and sectoral experience enhances the effectiveness of non-executive directors. Jebb (1998) cited in Ahwireng-Obeng, Mariano and Viedge (2005) suggests that it is a better strategy to hire non-executive directors who have experience in similar as well as other sectors and situations that the company is likely to face than search for a particular expertise in a director. According to Pincombe (2000), this enables the utilisation of specialist skills in different fields and the broadening of experience (Ahwireng-Obeng, Mariano and Viedge, 2005). To a certain extent, the tenure of service also has impact on the effectiveness of non-executive directors. Feldman (1992) is of the view that a board that services a business well today may not be qualified to lead it five years from now as markets and products evolve. Therefore, the appointments of non-executive directors should be for a specific term and new members should be appointed as and when needed. One suggestion is that by serving for more than ten years, the board member tends to become too close to senior management to provide objective oversight (Ahwireng-Obeng, Mariano and Viedge, 2005). However, this could provide the in-depth knowledge and institutional memory that a new board member has to work hard to acquire (Fleming, 1998 cited in Ahwireng-Obeng, Mariano and Viedge, 2005). As for the selection and appointment, â€Å"good boards do not just ‘happen’; they are carefully constructed working teams† (Vennat, 1995). In other words, it is by selecting and developing appropriate indiv... ...m their duties, particularly those sitting on the Nominations Committee, Remuneration Committee and Audit Committee on an irregular basis, meeting only a few times a year (Pass, 2008). Due to limited time of involvement, non-executive directors could be too "remote" from internal decision-making processes to make an effective contribution and lack of information. The effectiveness of non-executive directors would be undermining when they are uninformed about the challenges they face. Hurley (2000) cited in Ahwireng-Obeng, Mariano and Viedge (2005) suggests that making the following list of information available to non-executive directors can contribute to their focus and productivity: board policies, committee guidelines, board minutes, authority annotations, contract summaries, organisational charts, member surveys and analyses, and programme or project analyses.

Erosional Activity on Mercury, Venus, and Moon

Erosion in Earth is mainly caused by water or moisture, wind, and other earthly activities. However, in other planets like Mercury and Venus, as well as our own satellite, which is the Moon, there is less erosion activity. Considering their distance from the Sun, the two mentioned planets are the closest ones to the Sun, and in case of Moon, it has the same distance as the Earth from the Sun which is 1 astronomical unit. We could say that in these heavenly bodies, the moisture is least to exist since they are prone to the intense heat of the Sun, considering that the Moon gets its light from the Sun. Aside from that, the Sun has strong gravity that enables it self to pull the planets and other heavenly bodies in the Solar System. Considering that the Mercury and Venus are the planets considered closest to the sun, both planets have received also the strongest attraction of the gravitational pull. In this case, the materials of the planets are more intact that could prevent to be eroded. In relation to the planetary size, it is correlated to the gravity such that the bigger the planet or the heavenly body, the greater of its gravitational pull. The Mercury, Venus, and Moon, which are relatively small bodies in Solar System, it has lesser gravity pull than the Earth. However, with the influence of the Earth’s gravity to the Moon, it prevents the moon from its orbiting and other erosional activity in the said satellite. Mercury and Venus, as it was mentioned before, both planets have been affected by the gravitational force of the Sun. The fallen heavenly bodies, such as meteor and asteroids, that also causes erosion in planets would be avoided by attraction of gravity pull of the Sun. Instead of collision with Mercury or Venus, it would be then collided with the Sun. In this case, there would be lesser erosional activity. Reference: July 1, 2007 July 1, 2007

Semiautobiographical Work- Borderlands/La Frontera The...

Every writer has the ability to make their writing remarkable, beautiful, and complex by using elements like genre, discourse, and code. Borderlands/ La Frontera: The New Mestiza is a semi-autobiographical work by Gloria Anzaldà ºa. She examines the relations of her lands, languages, and herself overall. She defines the borders she has around herself in the preface of the book: â€Å"The actual physical borderland that I’m dealing with in this book is the Texas-U.S. Southwest/Mexican border. The psychological borderlands, the sexual borderlands and the spiritual borderlands†¦the Borderlands are physically present wherever two or more cultures edge each other, where people of different races occupy the same territory, where under, lower, middle and†¦show more content†¦It has the concepts of identity, memory, experience, and space (Hight). Furthermore, by using myths like the one about Coatlicue, the Aztec goddess of life, death and rebirth, she is able to find her own individual space and reinvents the birth of her affiliation to her community. I also put this book into the category of critical ethnography. It focuses on the implied values expressed within ethnographic studies. â€Å"Critical ethnography begins with an ethical responsibility to address processes of unfairness or injustice within a particular lived domain† (Madison). These are the misunderstood biases that may result from implied values. Discourses can be either implicit or explicit. I would describe this as a form of telling the reader what the author wants them to know. Language can be manipulated in such a way that it can cause a certain effect or provoke a specific response. The discourses for this book were put into the following categories: Chicano Cultural Nationalism, Post-Colonial Theory, strategic essentialism, mestizaje, sexual and cultural identity, queer theory, shamanism, and feminism. Chicano Cultural Nationalism tends to highlight civil rights, political and social inclusion, and uses the culture to reconstruct the nation’s pursuit for the self: â€Å"nationalism focuses on the role that imagination and myth play in the development of the self-image that precedes nation-creation† (Fernà ¡ndez). However,