Education in Taiwan under Japanese Rule

Attack on Fort Sumter Began the Civil War in 1861

Attack on Fort Sumter Began the Civil War in 1861 The shelling of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861 marked the beginning of the American Civil War. With the booming of cannons over the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina, the secession crisis gripping the country escalated into a shooting war. The attack on the fort was the culmination of a simmering conflict in which a small garrison of Union troops in South Carolina found themselves isolated when the state seceded from the Union. The action at Fort Sumter lasted less than two days and had no great tactical significance. And casualties were minor. But the symbolism was enormous on both sides. Once Fort Sumter was fired upon there was no turning back. The North and the South were at war. The Crisis Began With Lincolns Election in 1860 Following the election of Abraham Lincoln, the candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party, in 1860, the state of South Carolina announced its intention to secede from the Union in December 1860. Declaring itself independent of the United States, the state government demanded that federal troops leave. Anticipating trouble, the administration of the outgoing president, James Buchanan, had ordered a reliable U.S. Army officer, Major Robert Anderson, to Charleston in late November 1860 to command the small outpost of federal troops guarding the harbor. Major Anderson realized that his small garrison at Fort Moultrie was in danger as it could easily be overrun by infantry. On the night of December 26, 1860, Anderson surprised even members of his own staff by ordering a move to a fort situated on an island in Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter had been built after the War of 1812 to protect the city of Charleston from foreign invasion, and it was designed to repel a naval attack, not a bombardment from the city itself. But Major Anderson felt it was the safest place in which to place his command, which numbered less than 150 men. The secessionist government of South Carolina was outraged by Andersons move to Fort Sumter and demanded that he vacate the fort. Demands that all federal troops leave South Carolina intensified. It was obvious that Major Anderson and his men couldnt hold out for long at Fort Sumter, so the Buchanan administration sent a merchant ship to Charleston to bring provisions to the fort. The ship, Star of the West, was fired on by secessionist shore batteries on January 9, 1861, and was unable to reach the fort. The Crisis at Fort Sumter Intensified While Major Anderson and his men were isolated at Fort Sumter, often cut off from any communication with their own government in Washington, DC, events were escalating elsewhere. Abraham Lincoln traveled from Illinois to Washington for his inauguration. It is believed that a plot to assassinate him on the way was foiled. Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, and was soon made aware of the seriousness of the crisis at Fort Sumter. Told that the fort would run out of provisions, Lincoln ordered ships of the U.S. Navy to sail to Charleston and supply the fort. The newly formed Confederate government kept up demands that Major Anderson surrender the fort and leave Charleston with his men. Anderson refused, and at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, Confederate cannon positioned at various points on the mainland began shelling Fort Sumter. The Battle of Fort Sumter The shelling by Confederates from several positions surrounding Fort Sumter went unanswered until after daylight, when Union gunners began returning fire. Both sides exchanged cannon fire throughout the day of April 12, 1861. By nightfall, the pace of the cannons had slowed, and a heavy rain pelted the harbor. When morning dawned clear the cannons roared again, and fires began to break out at Fort Sumter. With the fort in ruins, and with supplies running out, Major Anderson was forced to surrender. Under the surrender terms, the federal troops at Fort Sumter would essentially pack up and sail to a northern port. On the afternoon of April 13, Major Anderson ordered a white flag to be raised over Fort Sumter. The attack on Fort Sumter had produced no combat casualties, though two federal troops died during a freak accident at a ceremony after the surrender when a cannon misfired. The federal troops were able to board one of the U.S. Navy ships which had been sent to bring supplies to the fort, and they sailed to New York City. Upon arrival in New York, Major Anderson learned that he was considered a national hero for having defended the fort and the national flag at Fort Sumter. Impact of the Attack on Fort Sumter The citizens of the North were outraged by the attack on Fort Sumter. And Major Anderson, with the flag that had flown over the fort, appeared at a massive rally in New York Citys Union Square on April 20, 1861. The New York Times estimated the crowd at more than 100,000 people. Major Anderson also toured the northern states, recruiting troops. In the South, feelings also ran high. The men who fired the cannons at Fort Sumter were considered heroes, and the newly formed Confederate government was emboldened to form an army and plan for war. While the action at Fort Sumter had not amounted to much militarily, the symbolism of it was enormous, and intense feelings over what had happened propelled the nation into a conflict that would not end for four long and bloody years.

THE COMMUNICATIONS DILEMMA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE COMMUNICATIONS DILEMMA - Case Study Example It involves an effective system in which employees can get the information they need (Smith & Mounter, 2008). Communication is an adhesive force that should hold an organization together. Without communication, an organization would be just a collection of disconnected employees working in different directions. Miami Memorial Hospital has a huge problem due to internal communication problems. The new head of the hospital has created many enemies among the employees. As much as even his supporters agree that he came into the hospital during tough times, everyone agrees that he has a communication problem. During his first six months, Dr, Smith has made various changes to which most of the employees disagree. Examples include retrenchment of 50 employees and demoting two long term care workers. He also fired the manager in charge of education and training and a popular leader who had been in the hospital for eighteen years. The rankings of employees sows that a majority of them are ver y dissatisfied and have no motivation. They feel that Dr. Smith does not recognize them, are afraid of questioning Dr. Smith’s decisions and use of resources. This paper will analyze the case and recommend an effective solution to the communication process at Miami Memorial Hospital. ... According to Wright (2009) the decision making process in any organization determines the manner in which employees respond to decision outcomes. The manner in which the management communicates concerning decision made is crucial for any organization. In Miami Memorial Hospital, I will question the management decision making process in order to establish its impact on the organization. I feel that the fact that employees have come to dislike all the actions of Dr. Smith, this says something about the exclusion of employees from the decision making process. The case also says something about the communication methods of Dr. Smith. His poor communication methods or lack of communication methods have led to a poor relationship between him and his employees (Wright, 2009). In addition to working from the information provided, I will conduct my own research and determine the truth in my speculations. Specifically, I will research into the decision making process, and the degree of employe e involvement. I will also seek to determine the method of communication used by Dr. Smith. These two issues arise from the fact that a majority of employees have a grudge against Dr. Smith because of his actions. Armed with such information, I will have a clear situation from which I can determine the best course of action. Gathering Information from Employees The information provided by employees will be the best source of information for my research into the problem. This is because internal communication involves flow of information between employees and the management of an organization. The effectiveness or lack of a good communication system impacts directly on employees. In gathering the information, I will use interviews and questionnaires. This will ensure that I pose specific

Public Health Program Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Health Program Evaluation - Essay Example It will bring into focus the specific and detailed activities being conducted under the counseling program and provide an indication if such activities are generating positive or beneficial outcomes to the participants in terms of their ability to handle emotional, sexual and educational problems because of enhanced knowledge, perceptions or attitudes and skills. To accomplish an Outcomes-Based Evaluation, McNamara lists the following general steps: 1. Identify the major outcomes that are to be examined or verified for the program under evaluation. 2. Prioritize the outcomes and select the top priority outcomes that will be examined by the evaluation. Considerations for this prioritization are the limits of time and resources for conducting the evaluation. 3. For each outcome, determine the measures or indicators that will be observed which suggest that an outcome is being achieved by a participant. 4. Specify a target or goal for the participants. 5. Identify the information needed to show the indicators or measure the outcomes. 6. Determine how information can be efficiently and realistically gathered. 7. Analyze and report the findings. Outcomes are benefits or changes for individuals participating in the program. "They are what participants know, think, or can do; or how they behave; or what their condition is, that is different following the program (United Way). In the area of educational problems, a measurable outcome would be grades of the participants and incidence of absenteeism. This information can be gathered from school data before the program was started and after the one year period of counseling, then compared with data for the group which underwent treatment by psychologists and social workers. "Desired outcomes include positive changes in behavioral and emotional functioning, family relationships, academic achievement, or community functioning" (Nabors et al p. 206-209). Identify the stakeholders, and discuss their respective interests According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the key stakeholders of a public health program evaluation are 1. Those involved in program operations, in this case the Director and staff of the community health center, the funding agency if existent, the local community members who conduct the counseling sessions, and the psychologists and social workers treating the control group. Obviously, the primary interest of the community health center is to find out how effective the counseling the program is in achieving the desired outcomes of emotional, sexual and educational problem solving, and how this compares with the treatment program. The local community members, the psychologists and social workers would be interested in the efficacy of the activities being conducted and whether these should be institutionalized. The funding agency would want to know if funding efforts should be continued and/or expanded. 2. Those served or affected by the program, the teens a nd adults who are participants in the program, their parents, families, friends and school personnel who deal with the participants. The participants who are central to the effort will be the primary source of information for the evaluation. Their families, friends and school personnel who are affected by the participants problems and who provide support to the participants within and outside the program would

Florida v. Jardines, 11-564 from the Supreme Court in March 2013 Research Paper

Florida v. Jardines, 11-564 from the Supreme Court in March 2013 - Research Paper Example nt amount of marijuana and evidence that he was a drug trafficker too, Jardines contested the warrant saying that it is was breach of the fourth amendment. Hence, rendering the raid, and the consequence (charges for possessing marijuana), null and void. The Supreme Court of Florida approved the decision of the trial court, holding that the evidence be suppressed as the officers had committed Fourth Amendment breach. They did not have a probable cause to search Jardines’ property (Florida v. Jardines, 2013). 5. Rationale: why did the court decide the case this way? Was there a decent? A concurring opinion? How many Justices voted with the majority? What were the reasons that different judges felt differently about parts of the case? The court is not a law machine set out to operate under given set of command. The law and courts operate to contribute towards a better society. The law is made to protect the citizen and not to harass them. The notion that no one should be held above the law needs to be practiced in such a way as decided the Supreme Court of Florida. The Fourth amendment upholds that the people have a right to be secure in their homes (Jardines v. State, 2011). The Fourth Amendment does not allow police or anyone to search someone’s property without probable cause. The term ‘search’ has been highlighted in the Fourth Amendment as when governments physically intrudes someone’s property (person, papers, houses or effects) it is a ‘search’ (Florida v. Jardines, 2013).. The citizens should consider home as safe from unreasonable investigations. If this sense of security is not provided to the citizens then the society will always feel vulnerable and under pressure of the government. The officers that searched Jardines’ house did not ‘see’ anything with their own eyes before entering his premises. There was apparently no suspicious activity around or in his house. Had the officers seen something then it would have been a reasonable

Genetic Mapping of Cystic Fibrosis and Huntingtons Disease

Genetic Mapping of Cystic Fibrosis and Huntingtons Disease Genetic Mapping By the late 1970s, the list of genetic diseases in McKusicks catalog of genetic diseases had grown exponentially. But only a few of the actual genes were identified, leading to predictive diagnostic tests. It seems that finding a disease-linked gene in humans is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Botstein/Davis Gene Mapping Technique In 1978, David Botstein (1942- ), a geneticist from MIT, attended a genetic mapping presentation in Utah. At the presentation, a graduate student was mapping a gene that happened to be sitting with a gene that existed in many easily identifiable variants. As Botstein listened, he was struck by an idea: gene mapping would become a trivial task if such variant signposts existed and were spread across the human genome. Botstein knew that such a marker exists. Over centuries of evolution, thousands of minute variants in DNA sequence are created in the human genome. These variants are called polymorphisms, and are spread widely over the human genome. Working with Ron Davis (1941- ) and Mark Skolnick (1946- ), Botstein published their new basis for the construction of human genetic maps in 1980. Mapping Huntingtons Disease (HD) Nancy Wesler, a psychologist, heard about Botsteins gene-mapping proposal in October, 1979.ÂÂ   Her mother and uncles all had suffered from Huntingtons disease, but she was still asymptomatic. Huntingtons disease causes the death of specific neurons in the brain, leading to jerky movements, physical rigidity, and dementia. Symptoms usually appear in midlife and worsen progressively. At that time, Botsteins method was still theoretical thus far, no human gene had been successfully mapped with it. Botsteins technique was crucially dependent on the association between a disease and markers: the more patients, the stronger the association, the more refined the genetic map. There were only a few thousand HD patients in scattered across the United States seemed perfectly mismatched to this gene-mapping technique. However, Wexler had heard that there was a prevalence of HD on the shores of two villages in Venezuela. In the winter of 1979, Wexler set off to Venezuela to hunt the Huntington gene. She hired a team of local workers to begin documenting the pedigrees of affect and unaffected men and women, collecting blood samples to be shipped to the laboratory of James Gusella, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and to Michael Conneally, a medical geneticist at Indiana University. In Boston, Gusella purified DNA from blood cells and cut it with a barrage of enzymes, looking for a variant that might be genetically linked to HD. Conneallys group analyzed the data to quantify the statistical link between the DNA variant and the disease. In 1983, three years after the blood samples had arrived, the location of the HD gene, whose mutation causes Huntingtons disease, was mapped to chromosome 4 in 1983, making HD the first disease gene to be mapped using DNA polymorphisms variants in the DNA sequence. The mutation consists of increasing repetitions of CAG in the DNA that codes for the protein huntingtin. The number of CAG repeats may increase when passed from parent to child, leading to earlier HD onset in each generation. Mapping of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Davis and Botsteins technique of mapping genes based on their physical positions on chromosomes later called positional cloning marked a transformative moment in human genetics. In 1989, the technique was used to identify a gene that causes cystic fibrosis, a devastating illness that affects the lungs, pancreas, bile ducst, and intestines. Unlike Huntingtons disease, the mutated variant of the CF is common: one in twenty-five men and women of European descent carries the mutation. Human with a single copy of the mutant gene are largely asymptomatic. If two such asymptomatic carriers conceive a child, chances are one I four that the child will be born with both mutant genes. Until the 1980s, the average life span of a child carrying two such mutant alleles was twenty years. In 1985, Lap-Chee Tsui, a human geneticist working in Toronto, found an anonymous marker that was linked to the mutant CF gene. The marker was quickly pinpointed on chromosome seven, but the CF gene was lost somewhere in that chromosome. Tsui began to hunt for the CF gene by progressively narrowing the region that might contain it. In 1989, using a modified gene hunting technique called chromosome jumping, Tsui and his colleagues had narrowed down the gene hunt to a few candidates on chromosome seven. The task was now to sequence the genes, confirm their identity and define the mutation that affect the function of the CF gene. They discovered that only one gene was persistently mutated in both copies in affected children, while their unaffected parents carried a single copy of the mutation. The CF gene codes a molecule that channels salt across celluar membranes. The most common mutation is a deletion of three bases of DNA that results in the removal, or deletion, of just one amino acid from the protein. This deletion creates a dysfunctional protein that is unable to move chloride across membranes. The salt in sweat cannot be absorbed back into the body, resulting in the characteristically salty sweat. Not an the body secrete salt and water into the intestines, resulting in the abdominal symptoms. Within a few months of the discovery, a diagnostic test for the mutant allele became available. Over the last decade, the combination of targeted parental screening and fetal diagnosis has reduced the prevalence of children born with CF by about 30 to 40 percent in populations where the frequency of the mutant is the highest.

The Censorship Of Huck Finn :: essays research papers

The Censorship of Huckelberry Finn   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn has been called one of the greatest pieces of American literature, deemed a classic. The book has been used by teachers across the country for years. Now, Huck Finn, along with other remarkable novels such as Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, are being pulled off the shelves of libraries and banned from classrooms. All the glory this majestic piece by Mark Twain has acquired is slowly being deteriorated. This is occurring because some say it does not meet 'today's'; politically correct standards. This is an immense disturbance to all who have read and cherished Huckelberry Finn and know this work's true meaning. Censorship, as defined in the dictionary, is, in the case of a book, to take out things thought to be objectionable. Censorship is far more than that. This mere word prohibits us from all things branded with its mark. In this instance of The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, it takes away an American treasure, and more importantly, defies First Ammendment rights. Those who find Huck Finn distasteful and unappropriate are trying to brand this work, by censorship, and make it unjust to read. This is similar to a farmer trying to brand his mark upon a bull, with those against Huck Finn as the farmers and Huckelberry Finn is the bull. As most know the bull never goes down without a fight and won't allow thje farmer to branded, just as the supporters of Huckelberry Finn will not just be taken down passively. The main reason Huckelberry Finn is being subjected to such scrutiny is because of the way Twain protrayed 'nigger'; Jim, and his use of the racial slur. The Anti-Huckelberry Finn feel that it is to uncomfortable for African-Americans to read the book and think they are being stereotyped into Jim's image. Though some find it wrong for this American treasure to remain availible due to its racism, this is not the case. Even though the word 'nigger'; is used over 200 times in the book, it was common for African-Americans to be refered to as this during the period of the book and the time the book was published. Those trying to have Huckelberry Finn censored are also opposed to Jim being portrayed as 'an uneducated man, very superstitious, infantile, passive, and generally uncultured,'; as written by Frank Ritter. These ideas may at first seem like the basis for a good arguement, but it is later apparent that these