American reform movements of 1825-1850 Essay

In the period from 1825-1850, a majority of the reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals. However, some did so indirectly and unintentionally. The reform movements were spurred by the Second Great Awakening, which began in New England in the late 1790’s, and would eventually spread throughout the country. The Second GA differed from the First in that people were now believed to be able to choose whether or not to believe in God, as opposed to previous ideals based on calvinism and predestination. According to Charles G. Finney, the role of the church is to reform society. In 1834, he said, â€Å"When the churches are†¦awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow.† Finney had been influenced by Second Great Awakening ideals. He goes on to say that â€Å"drunkards, harlots, and infidels† would also be converted do to reform by the church. In this sense, the Second Great Awakening helped expand democratic ideals by bettering the moral standards of the common man. In 1835, Patrick Reason created an engraving depicting a black female slave in chains. Above her is the quote, â€Å"Am I not a woman and a sister† This reflects how the abolition and women’s movements often tied into one another. Both of these movements helped expand democratic ideals in that they desired increased rights (specifically suffrage) for minorities. However, women and blacks were simply trying to increase their own influence in society, and were not otherwise looking to expand democratic ideals for the benefit of everyone (Native Americans, Irish immigrants, etc.). The Grimke sisters (Angelina & Sarah) were southern abolitionists who also played a role in the Women’s Movement. Susan B. Anthony, a Quaker, and therefore opposed to slavery on moral grounds, also played a role in both movements. Anthony was a disciple of Eliizabeth Cady Stanton. Nativism was also an important reform movement of this time period. Nativism was the belief that only white Anglo-Saxon Protestants should be allowed suffrage and other rights. People believed this partly from fear of a  Catholic takeover, and partly because they did not want foreign immigrants competing with them for jobs. Samuel Morse was a key supporter of nativism. In his Imminent Dangers to the Free Institutions of the United States, written in 1835, he stated â€Å"that no foreigner who comes into the country after the law is passed shall ever be allowed the right of suffrage.† The law he referred to was a proposed law to replace the current Naturalization Law of the time. This movement did not seek to expand democratic ideals. Education reform was also an important movement of this period. Universal manhood suffrage created the need for education reform. The common laborer began to demand education for his children. This movement sought to expand democratic ideals in that more educated people meant more people would be able to be productive members of society. Emma Willard played a role in this movement as well as the Women’s Movement. She opened the Troy Female Seminary in 1821, which trained women to be members of the clergy. William H. McGuffey invented the â€Å"McGuffey Reader.† This was a standard reader that all children read based on their grade. In a passage from a McGuffey Reader from 1836, a poor young boy discusses how his parents are â€Å"very good to save some of their money in order that I may learn to read and write.† He is referring to tax-supported public schools, which were a result of the education reform movement. Alcohol abuse was becoming widespread throughout the early 1800’s. This was due in part to Elijah Craig’s invention of bourbon in 1789. Alcohol abuse led to decreased efficiency of labor, which was a problem for businessmen and consumers alike. The Temperance Movement began in an effort to end alcohol abuse. The American Temperance Society was formed in Boston in 1826, and urged people to give up alcohol. Neal Dow supported prohibition, and is considered the â€Å"Father of Prohibition.† He supported the Maine Law of 1851, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcohol. William Lloyd Garrison was an abolitionist who also supported temperance. An 1846 cartoon entitled â€Å"The Drunkards Progress. From The First Glass To The Grave† shows what a detrimental effect alcohol had on the life of the common laborer. The Temperance Movement sought to expand democratic ideals in that it protected the common man from himself. It improved the common man’s productivity as well as his well-being by discouraging him from the evils of alcohol. The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 sought to expand democratic ideals more vigilently and radically than perhaps any other event of any movement. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton both played important roles in the convention. They produced a â€Å"Declaration of Sentiments† which stated that â€Å"all men and women are created equal.† They also produced a resolution formally demanding women’s suffrage. In an excerpt from the Seneca Falls Declaration (August 2, 1848), Stanton states that the women are â€Å"assembled to protest against a form of government, existing without the consent of the governed–to declare our right to be free as man is free.† Here she refers to the government-by-social contract philosophy of John Locke. She goes on to declare that â€Å"strange as it may seem, we now demand our right to vote according to the declaration of the government under which we live.† Here she refers to the Declaration of Independence of 1776, which stated that â€Å"all men are created equal.† Dorothia Dix travelled over 60,000 miles touring asylums across America. Her journals would help spread the idea that crazy people were actually mentally ill, and did not simply choose to be crazy. Her work led to 15 new hospitals and improved conditions in current hospitals of the time. While she did not seek to expand democratic ideals, she did improve the conditions in asylums, which is an indirect increase in the rights of the mentally ill. In the period from 1825-1850, a majority of the reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals. However, some did so indirectly and unintentionally.

Reflecting on self an an entrepreuner

Introduction The first half of this report is written about one of the famous German entrepreneurs Klaus KobJoll. It will include personal, societal and environmental antecedent that influenced KobJolls' decisions during his life. In addition, his strengths and weaknesses will be determined and compared against my own ones. Second half of report will describe on what kind of venture I will do my Opportunity Analyses Report. It will include 5 key disciplines and 2 key personnel required to be source, as well as skills and competences needed for the start-up of the venture Background Information on Klaus KobJollBeing born on 13 June 1948, Klaus KobJoll is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Europe (Schindlerhof n. d. ). His business portfolio ranges from restaurants to hotel business. His entrepreneurial career began when he was 22 by opening a â€Å"Creperie rennaise† restaurant in Erlangen in 1970. From then on, he established several more restaurants and hotels in Erlangen and Nuremberg. 1 1984, he opened the most successful venture in his career, the â€Å"Landhotel Schindlerhof†. Schindlerhof has become one of the best hotels in Europe and won several awards.Klaus KobJoll himself sees business as something that is very personal and should be handled with care. He is the author of books, lectures, and articles on hotel management (CSA Celebrity Speakers n. d. ). In what ways Klaus KobJoll can be considered an entrepreneur? KobJoll is believed to be highly successful and rare entrepreneur. He deserved that status through his hard work and dedication to his ventures. The rigidly high standards that Klaus imposed on himself for running his business, earned him recognition and numerous accolades.Moreover, his unique way of dealing with mployees, giving them as much empowerment as they need to learn being independent, made his company one of the Germanys most productive places. His desire to grow and make Schindlerhof a better place broug ht the expansion of an originally 19-room hotel into a nearly 100-room hotel with $7mln turnover in 2012 (Wildberg, R 2013). He is also a member of German Hotel and restaurant Association and became first full member of the Swiss Hotelier's Association (CSA Celebrity Speakers n. d. ).Personal Influences of Klaus KobJoll The establishment of entrepreneurship is highly influenced by individual's personal raits and characteristics (Morrison, A, Rimmington, M ; Williams, C 1999). From that point of view, Timmons (cited in Morrison, A et al. 1999) suggests that leadership, along with commitment and determination are among desirable traits for an entrepreneur to possess. It can be seen that Klaus KobJoll is truly is an inspirational and motivational leader. He prompts his employees to be independent by empowering them to discover their individual talents.Klaus KobJoll sees his hotel â€Å"as a school in which they grow' (Wildberg, R 2013). In addition, being a leader Klaus KobJoll admits that every leader has a select group of qualities. He states that every man can be a manager, but not everyone can become a leader. He highlights several points such as self-confidence, need for achievement, and responsiveness to Those factors in turn correspond with entrepreneurial traits suggested by Schumpeter, McClelland, Baty and Chet et al. (cited in Morrison, A et al. 1999).

Reaction to Dante’s Inferno Essay

Reading Dante’s Inferno has been a challenge for me, especially at first when I didn’t understand some of the main themes Dante was trying to get across. My values are so different than those of Dante when it comes to the afterlife, it can be hard to read something that is so contradictory of my own beliefs. Once I understood that Dante was not being literal about the things he wrote in the Inferno it became a lot clearer to me that his main theme was that of controlling our own fate based on the choice we make to do the right thing or wrong thing. After I knew this, I realized that we really weren’t that different after all, because that idea appeals to me greatly. I first had to struggle to get past some of the obvious differences I feel about the afterlife, like the fact that I don’t believe in hell, in order for me to really appreciate the Inferno. Probably the main thing that happened to me that shaped my views about Christianity in general was when my cousin tried to scare me into becoming a Christian when I was about 8 years old. He convinced me that unless I started being an obedient Christian who prayed and went to church and read the bible regulary, I was going to be sentenced to a existence of burning in hell for eternity by God. That’s a lot to try deal with as a kid, especially if the person telling you this is someone that you look up to and have love and respect for. The older I got the more I resented not only my cousin for this, but that spread to all Christians in general. His approach was to make me believe in God as a sort of insurance policy so that I wouldn’t go to hell. After this experience I decided for myself that hell was quite possibly something that was made up by people to scare other people into believing what they wanted them to believe. I could not imagine that God would really want people to practice a religion out of fear, the idea just seemed a little out there for me. All my cousin accomplished in the end with me was to make me suspicious of any person who is Christian and anything that has to do with hell, and I don’t think that was his intention at all. I have since learned that not all Christians are like my cousin in their views and I’m generally quite accepting of anyone and their faith, as long  as they don’t try to pressure me into believing what they do. But to this day I still feel a little uneasy about anything that has to do with being punished by hell, so you can perhaps understand why it may have been a little hard for me to look past that in the Inferno. At first glance, the Inferno can just look like its just about people being punished cruely for the sins they have commited. But after a deeper look, it can be said that there is much more to it than just that. What really helped me be able to understand the Inferno a lot better was to understand that what Dante wrote about was not meant to be a literal interpretation of how he felt the afterlife was. He understood that it would be quite presumptuous of him to think that he could really know that. Whats important is to realize that Dante uses hell in this poem as a vehicle for expressing his views about the choices people make to either do good or do bad, and being liable for those choices. I definitely feel it is healthy to read things that vary from one’s own personal beliefs because it may bring up issues and ideas you hadn’t thought of before, possibly expanding your understanding of what you know thought you knew. It can help you learn and grow and not be stuck with certain views. Even if your values are not some how changed, I think it is still important to beable to go into something with an open mind and respect the difference of opinion. I do feel that after reading Dante’s Inferno that I have been given a new way to look at the decisions we make for ourselves in this life. Whether I believe in hell or not, I can completely appreciate this new perspective, and it makes me grateful that I was given the opportunity to read Dante’s Inferno.

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level Essay

Impact of Innovation on Economic Perfomance on Micro and Macro Level - Essay Example This essay is one of the best examples of comprehensive theoretic analysis of the mechanism of the impact of technology changes on the competitiveness of a company or an entire economy of a country. The tighter and more competitive business environment is driving firms to innovate in order to maintain their existence as a market player. However, as more firms innovate, the struggle to maintain their share in the market in turn gets other firms to innovate, capturing everybody to be part of a complex economic cycle. A source of new technology is the society’s search for increased economic efficiency and a sincere desire to reduce the cost that it has to pay for the availability of goods. Whether the purpose of the technology is to improve its effective use of available natural resources or to increase or alter the supply of available resources, it has impacted what people buy (hence created new demand types), what they choose to do with their time (leading to new market for leisure events), what jobs are lost due to changes in the overall economic mix, and possibly the price of other goods that compete with the products, that were produced using new technology. Research, entrepreneurship, new start-ups, consolidation of businesses, interaction with other companies and financial markets create an environment that is conclusive to innovations. Novel trends in innovative activities are impacted by new technologies, modifications in the existing knowledge base, as well as changes in consumer needs.

Should Wells Fargo lose the latest DOJ lawsuit, Were they ethical in Research Paper

Should Wells Fargo lose the latest DOJ lawsuit, Were they ethical in there practices with the Mortgages - Research Paper Example Recently, the company has been facing a lawsuit that requires them to pay for damages, because of acting unethically toward offering substandard mortgage loans, which might have powered the financial crisis in the region (Raindi & Timiraos, 2012). This paper will examine the lawsuit, and if the company is justified in claiming they acted within their financial ethical boundaries. In October 2012, the Department of Justice was at the forefront in trying to prove that Wells Fargo & Co. acted unethically by providing shoddy mortgage deals to insurance programs in the U.S., hence; creating a loss of millions of dollars. An Act enacted in 1989 allows the government to sue any financial institution if the affected party is insured by the federal government. The Department of Housing and Urban Development in US is accusing Wells Fargo & Co. of offering shoddy loans to first-time buyers (Raindi & Timiraos, 2012). According to the Department of Housing, this was done with complete disregard a s to whether the parties being given loans had the ability to pay or not. The probability of Wells Fargo losing the lawsuit There is a likelihood that Wells Fargo & Co. might lose the lawsuit. This is because under the various laws that govern the operations and functions of financial institutions, the company may have gone against the law in their undertakings. The law of restrictions under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA), is still a factor to consider, where the company is still liable for prosecution by the state even after the period that has elapsed. The company can also be prosecuted under the federal False Claims Act. The refusal of the banking institution to report the defective loans has played a vital role in the escalation of the financial crisis (Raindi & Timiraos, 2012), which still rocks the U.S. and countless other regions to this day. The company claims that since it was the only institution affected by its actions, there is n o possible reason why it should be prosecuted for unethical practices within the organization. This claim was thrown out of court as the judge presiding over the case indicated that even if the only party affected by such actions was the one under prosecution, it still had to face the charges leveled against it. It is the belief of countless individuals that the simple act of choosing not to report these defective loans meant that the company knew about the issues they faced, but did not bring them to the HUD’s attention. This is tantamount to fraud, according to the court, and that is probably why the company may lose the suit by the U.S. Department of Justice. It is unethical for any financial institution to hold out on information (Jennings, 2011), which may be done to save money and disregard the integrity of the organization they serve. The ethical nature of the company’s lending practices There were some unethical undertakings by the company during the lending of loans to people. It is the task and duty of a financial institution to properly vet the people it is meant to serve, especially when dealing with loans. This is so as to see the chances of the loans being paid by the parties offered loans. In the company’s case, they were sure that any failure by the parties to pay would be bailed out by the Federal Housing Administration, which often bailed out first time buyers (Raindi & Timira

LASA 1.The S'No Risk Program Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LASA 1.The S'No Risk Program - Case Study Example Prior to the S’no Risk Program, there was a traditional sale held in the fall season wherein a 10% discount was offered (Bell, 1994). Eventually, the program took hold and a combination of factors including a surge in the snowfall and customers being enticed by the relative lack of risk meant that sales grew, and distributors were pleased to carry Toro products, even leading to cases of depleted inventories. The program lasted one year and then an evaluation was conducted, and the recourse offered by the insurance company called for an adjusted premium of â€Å"around 8% of sales for the coming year† (Bell, 1994, 3). This is approximately a four-fold increase from the previous annual period, and so it may be quite alarming. The reason for the rate hike however, is apparently due to the fact that American Home offered too cheap a rate initially. In this case, Susan conduct an independent study that analyzed the historical data, with regard to payouts as proscribed by the S’no Risk Program, and realized that in 1983, there would have been payouts of approximately 19% of sales (Bell, 1994, 3). With this information in mind, it makes sense that the insurance firm would want a higher rate, as the trend for payouts was higher than the low premium offered in the first year of the program. Another cause for the increased premium in the following year may have been due to the increasing total number of snow equipment components sold from 81/82 to 82/83 (Exhibit 1). The customer viewed the advertisement and was able to see immediately that there was a chance at varying rates of snowfall for a savings, and in some cases an absolute refund with the prospect of also keeping the Toro machine from the purchase. In essence, the consumer would be receiving something for nothing, and obviously they are the benefactors and Toro loses out in this scenario. Rather than offering different tiers of savings, I would suggest that it would be more simple to offering one large refund if the snowfall was below some threshold. This would be easier from an administrative standpoint, and if the consumers would still be drawn to purchase from such a modified program, the payouts would likely be minimized, which would be a favorable outcome for the income balance sheet of Toro. The S’no Risk Program executed in 1983 was a success, but it should be understood that Toro had several factors that were aligned in their favour. Their objective was accomplished of increasing sales, which allowed them to improve the year-to-year standing of their company, as well as afford the relatively low insurance premium, which also was a positive for the insurance company. As stated in the case, in the seasons leading up to the creation of the program, there was a plummet in the average snowfall, which meant that the market for snow equipment was in retreat. Toro needed an initiative that would jump start consumers and boost the sales of the company, and the pos sibility of an arrangement with Home Assurance was a welcome idea, even though it was not absolutely risk-free. If the insurance rate were higher, as it was recommended that it should have been, then the net sales generated off the snow equipment, less the payouts would have been less justified. This assumption would be further supported if the related premiums were to increase for the next yearly period. Likewise, if there was little snowfall at all not only would the payouts drastically increase, but it raises the doubts if many would purchase a piece

Emphysema Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Emphysema - Research Paper Example According to National Institute of Health, NIH (2014), COPD encompasses varied lung diseases that include emphysema, chronic obstructive airways disease and chronic bronchitis. This paper focuses on emphysema, the main type of COPD as noted by Klaassen (2013). Emphysema is a type of chronic lung disease. It normally causes people to have breathing difficulties due to blowing out air being limited and majorly affects people between the ages of 45 and 60 (NIH, 2014). It is estimated that over 10 million people in America are likely to have emphysema with 2011 having had 4.7 million Americans diagnosed with the condition according to statistics from the American Lung Association (2013). Historically, men exhibit higher prevalence for emphysema than women, though the past five years has seen the prevalence in women increase by 63% while prevalence among men has decreased by 6%. Together with bronchitis, emphysema is ranked fourth among the leading causes of death in America, killing abou t 16,242 people every year. The pathogenesis of emphysema largely remains unclear. However, it has been generally accepted that emphysema occurs when delicate linings of air sacs which occur in the lungs get irreversibly damaged. It involves the inflammatory changes that occur in small airways accompanied by loss of small vessels and alveolar septal structures. This, according to NIH (2014), occurs due to gradual destruction of air sacs in the lungs making the patient slowly deprived of breath. There is also the postulate by Nici and ZuWallack (2012) that emphysema results from protease-antiprotease imbalance. For proper maintenance of lungs, there needs to be a delicate balance in the activity of protease and antiprotease. Interference with this balance results to lungs being destroyed or inappropriately repaired, eventually leading to emphysema. Additionally, the destruction of elastin fragments resulting