The Civil War Essays (681 words) - Slavery, , Term Papers

The Civil War The civil war was doubly tragic because it was completely unnecessary. Slavery had been ended in other nations with the stroke of a pen, and yet in the mighty United States the country was willing to go to war over the issue of whether slavery should remain. The southerners felt that it was their constitutional right to own slaves and did not see a time when they should be required to give up that right. However, upon the election of Lincoln as President, the southerners felt threatened, and felt their slave holding rights were being threatened, and in an effort to protect these rights they chose to secede from the union. The northerners and Lincoln saw the importance of maintaining a united country, set out to bring back the seceded states. Thus the Civil War began. During the civil war 970, 227 Americans were either killed or wounded, this number was surpassed by only World War II. While the civil war originally began as a quest to bring the southern states back to the union. However, the goal of the war did soon change to that of abolition. While the war may have seemed necessary to the soldiers and governments who were participating, in retrospect it was unnecessary. In three separate European countries, slavery had been abolished prior to the American Civil War, and each without arms being raised. Slavery had been abolished in Britain in 1838, Sweden in 1848, and in Holland in 1863. It indeed could have similarly been abolished in the United States. However, the southerners, who were dependent on the slave institution, refused to give up their right to own slaves easily. Had the South been more progressively thinking many lives would have been saved and blood need not have been shed in the name of slavery. This is particularly true because if the south had given up their right to free labor (slavery), they would have soon received the gift of mechanical labor. Indeed they might have profited more from the use of the machines which were soon to be invented, as they did not require housing, and food. However, the southerners were deeply rooted in their institution of slavery and were prepared to go to war over their feelings. During this war the battle fields were transformed into shambles where during the duration of the war 634,703 union soldiers were killed or wounded, and 335,524 confederate soldiers were killed or wounded. Indeed this was the second most intense war second to World War II. In the civil war 3,846 soldiers from both the union army and the confederate army were killed per month of fighting. This clearly shows the intensity of the battle and the strong will which drove both sides to continue fighting in the face of such catastrophe. The financial burden endured by both sides was astronomical for the time period. The union force spent a combined 3.2 billion dollars which in terms of current currency values is 27.3 billion dollars. The confederacy spent two billion or 17.1 billion dollars. This is the price both sides were willing to pay in the name of slavery. The North and South went to war over the issue of slavery and endured a great expense in terms of human lives, and money. They could however have followed the example of Britain, Sweden, and Holland and simply signed away the institution of slavery and saved thousands of lives, and billions in dollars. However, the south was too deeply rooted in the institution of slavery, and when the Emancipation Proclamation came which freed the slaves they still treated them as they did before, often outside of the legal limits. Even after the 14th amendment which legally made people of color American citizens, there were strong racial and prejudicial feelings which ran rampant in the south, for example the KKK, and Jim Crow Laws, and literacy tests for the right to vote. African Americans endured these hardships for years to come, indeed until the civil rights movement in the 20th century.

The State of The Music Industry essays

The State of The Music Industry essays The state of the music industry is a curious and everchanging phenomenon. Lately, the multi-billion dollar industry has been in definite decline. Not to say however, that this decline doesnt have any relation to that of the state of the economy. In fact, looking statistically at the economy could help determine why in fact the music industry is in the state that it exists today. Also due to the internet, the popularity of the CD-R, and the various styles of retailing currently available, it will be more clearly revealed why the Music Industry might be suffering. The CD-R has become the poor mans answer to good music neglecting to understand that what they are doing in fact is piracy. They are stealing not only from the industry and the artist but from the economy. Music is a huge part of the economy and it has been thrown off center by the grand entrance of the CD burner. The burner has nearly become a staple part of a computer system and if not, dont fret, there are a bunch of external units to choose from. The RIAA states that one in two people had dowloaded music in the last month. The RIAA also states that three in 10 consumers report owning a CD burner; people who download music from the Internet are amongst consumers most likely to own CD burners (48%). Plus the most common use for CD burners amongst most consumers is making CDs for friends and family (54%) and making CD compilations (51%). That is truly a blast to recorded music sales and the retailers who distribute them. Still, number of CDs being shipped in seems to be high but unfortunately the demand is not coinciding with actual amounts of music sold. If the downloaded music was in fact being paid for, there would be ahuge difference in sales and that is the truth. DVDs seem to be the only things doing well at the moment because of the peril to duplicate them. Alas, the technology to do this is rapidly being updated and soon enough burning DVD...

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution Mathematical statistics uses techniques from various branches of math to prove definitively that statements regarding statistics are true. We will see how to use calculus to determine the values mentioned above of both the maximum value of the chi-square distribution, which corresponds to its mode, as well as find the inflection points of the distribution.   Before doing this, we will discuss the features of maxima and inflection points in general. We will also examine a method to calculate a maximum the inflection points. How to Calculate a Mode with Calculus For a discrete set of data, the mode is the most frequently occurring value. On a histogram of the data, this would be represented by the highest bar. Once we know the highest bar, we look at the data value that corresponds to the base for this bar. This is the mode for our data set.   The same idea is used in working with a continuous distribution. This time to find the mode, we look for the highest peak in the distribution. For a graph of this distribution, the height of the peak is a y value. This y value is called a maximum for our graph because the value is greater than any other y value. The mode is the value along the horizontal axis that corresponds to this maximum y-value.   Although we can simply look at a graph of a distribution to find the mode, there are some problems with this method. Our accuracy is only as good as our graph, and we are likely to have to estimate. Also, there may be difficulties in graphing our function. An alternate method that requires no graphing is to use calculus. The method we will use is as follows: Start with the probability density function f (x) for our distribution.  Calculate the first and second derivatives of this function: f (x) and f (x)Set this first derivative equal to zero f (x) 0.Solve for x.Plug the value(s) from the previous step into the second derivative and evaluate. If the result is negative, then we have a local maximum at the value x.Evaluate our function f (x) at all of the points x from the previous step.  Evaluate the probability density function on any endpoints of its support. So if the function has domain given by the closed interval [a,b], then evaluate the function at the endpoints a and b.The largest value in steps 6 and 7 will be the absolute maximum of the function. The x value where this maximum occurs is the mode of the distribution. Mode of the Chi-Square Distribution Now we go through the steps above to calculate the mode of the chi-square distribution with r degrees of freedom. We start with the probability density function f(x) that is displayed in the image in this article. f (x) K xr/2-1e-x/2 Here K is a constant that involves the gamma function and a power of 2. We do not need to know the specifics (however we can refer to the formula in the image for these). The first derivative of this function is given by using the product rule as well as the chain rule: f ( x ) K (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We set this derivative equal to zero, and factor the expression on the right-hand side: 0 K  xr/2-1e-x/2  [(r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2] Since the constant K, the exponential function and xr/2-1   are all nonzero, we can divide both sides of the equation by these expressions.   We then have: 0 (r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2 Multiply both sides of the equation by 2: 0 (r - 2)x-1 - 1 Thus 1 (r - 2)x-1 and we conclude by having x r - 2. This is the point along the horizontal axis where the mode occurs.   It indicates the x value of the peak of our chi-square distribution. How to Find an Inflection Point with Calculus Another feature of a curve deals with the way that it curves. Portions of a curve can be concave up, like an upper case U. Curves can also be concave down, and shaped like an   intersection symbol ∠©. Where the curve changes from concave down to concave up, or vice versa we have an inflection point. The second derivative of a function detects the concavity of the graph of the function. If the second derivative is positive, then the curve is concave up. If the second derivative is negative, then the curve is concave down. When the second derivative is equal to zero and the graph of the function changes concavity, we have an inflection point. In order to find the inflection points of a graph we: Calculate the second derivative of our function f (x).Set this second derivative equal to zero.Solve the equation from the previous step for x. Inflection Points for the Chi-Square Distribution Now we see how to work through the above steps for the chi-square distribution. We begin by differentiating. From the above work, we saw that the first derivative for our function is: f (x) K (r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We differentiate again, using the product rule twice. We have: f ( x ) K (r / 2 - 1) (r / 2 - 2)xr/2-3e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 (K / 4) xr/2-1e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 We set this equal to zero and divide both sides by Ke-x/2 0 (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (1 / 2)(r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 - (1/ 2)(r/2 - 1) xr/2-2 By combining like terms we have: (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 Multiply both sides by 4x3 - r/2, this gives us: 0 (r - 2)(r - 4) - (2r - 4)x x2. The quadratic formula can now be used to solve for x. x [(2r - 4) /- [(2r - 4)2 - 4  (r - 2)(r - 4) ]1/2]/2 We expand the terms that are taken to the 1/2 power and see the following: (4r2 -16r 16) - 4 (r2 -6r 8) 8r - 16 4(2r - 4) This means that: x [(2r - 4) /- [(4(2r - 4) ]1/2]/2 (r - 2) /- [2r - 4]1/2 From this we see that there are two inflection points. Moreover, these points are symmetric about the mode of the distribution as (r - 2) is halfway between the two inflection points. Conclusion We see how both of these features are related to the number of degrees of freedom. We can use this information to help in the sketching of a chi-square distribution. We can also compare this distribution with others, such as the normal distribution. We can see that the inflection points for a chi-square distribution occur in different places than the inflection points for the normal distribution.

Principles Of Auditing - Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit Essay

Principles Of Auditing - Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit - Essay Example Samsung, the two technology manufacturing giants. In this regard, the discussion of the case provides a critical understanding about the key reasons of stealing software and identifies if Apple or Samsung have disclosed any such information regarding the stealing of software. In addition, the discussion of the essay also highlights the process of disclosing information by these two technology manufacturers and explains the roles and the comments made by the auditors through this particular lawsuit between Apple and Samsung. In relation to the lawsuits associated with the software programs, Apple has been recognized to enter lawsuit by claiming a steal of software program by its core rival Samsung. According to the lawsuit, it has been identified that Apple acquired the community design registration in order to produce tablet computer in the year 2004. The team of Apple strongly believes the fact that a major portion of the buyers purchases a phone of Samsung by considering it as an iPhone. According to the team, there can be certain reasons of the customers for considering the phone of Samsung as an iPhone (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, â€Å"Democratic, Republican Party Platforms Emphasize Internet Freedom†). Based on the lawsuit, it has been claimed by Apple that Samsung made an infringement by using comparable design of its Galaxy SII by stealing software programs from Apple iPhone 4S. Moreover, the court fillings written by the attorney of Apple has also claimed that Samsung has systematically copied innovative technology along with innovative features and designs of Apple by infringing devices in the smartphone and tablet business industry (The Guardian, â€Å"Apple Sues Samsung for $2bn as Tech Rivals head back to Court†). The litigation of copying design and features or menu structure of the operating software has been emerged in

The Jungle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Jungle - Essay Example A novel that would involve the real aspects of the meat packing yards in Chicago and the resulting ramifications for those involved. A novel that would not only seek to inform but ideally, educate in the same breath and influence the thoughts of those reading the material for themselves. In essence, the book itself would have an impact upon the issue that it was trying to address. In the quest for change to occur, it remains up to anyone concerned, however many that may be, to take the first step toward the implementation of a plan that would lead to the positive change desired. Going to the highest levels of the political echelon, ‘The Jungle’ would ultimately motivate then President Theodore Roosevelt, to move forward with a closer examination of the unhealthy conditions within the industry that Sinclair mentions in his book. One of the most personal choices an individual may make would be the food they chose to eat each evening. The message within ‘The Jungle’, would ultimately resonate with readers in that, with the horrible conditions being present that ultimately, would place into question the reliability of the very beef that so many eat frequently. Often times, political activists are those who seek to argue issues that are of present concern, with potential implications for the future. The characters mentioned within the pages of Sinclair’s work, would take on the appearance of average, everyday workers and families, seeking to make a living and support their families. How those who worked for many years in the stock yards, would take a different view to the work, in comparison to those that would have only been a part of the job for a shorter period of time. The sense of feeling as if the individual person would be invincible of discontent as a result of the work being performed, in the mind of those who would be new to the

The Color Purple Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Essay Alice Walker’s epistolary novel The Color Purple demonstrates how the mistreatment of a woman cannot prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Celie, is a young, uneducated black girl who is verbally and sexually abused by her supposed father, Alphonso. He fathers two children with her, kidnapping both and presumably killing one, if not both. Because of the unwarranted trauma, she struggles for the rest of her life to recover from his abuse and establish her own power. Celie has a much smarter and prettier younger sister Nettie, whom she loves, and of whom she is very protective. Celie saves Nettie from marriage to a suitor referred to only as Mr. when their father forces her to marry him instead. Celie’s stepson Harpo, weds a strong-minded woman, Sofia, who is the complete opposite of Celie. Sofia’s refusal to be abused by anyone, man or woman sparks a curiosity that makes Celie take a closer look at herself. The catalyst of the story is Mr. ’s lover, Shug Avery. Although Celie realizes Shug is her husband’s lover, she does not resent Shug; in fact, Shug becomes Celie’s best friend, lover and even mentor. These influential women, each trying to find their own happiness, fighting their own personal demons, tremendously impact Celie’s life. The women help to educate Celie, whose natural intelligence and talents have been stunted by years of constant humiliation and abuse by her father and husband. It is through each character’s definition of life and struggle within The Color Purple that Alice Walker is able to tell the story of victorious transformation. Walker’s narrative symbolically illustrates a woman’s psychological journey rising from the mentality of an abused victim of poverty to become a strong, independent and confident woman who establishes her own place within her society. The sexual abuse Celie endures at a very early age leaves her powerless with nowhere to turn. Alphonso’s (Pa) sexual abuse is taken a step further when he gives Celie’s two children away to a family. Celie’s ignorance, due to her age and poor education, prevents her from understanding why the children were taken from her, but she does not believe they are dead. Alphonso entices Mr. , a widower with four children, to take Celie instead of Nettie, so he will not have to care for her anymore, by throwing in a cow with the deal. Walid El Hamamsy characterizes the combination package of Celie and the cow as further â€Å"patriarchal oppression† and a way to continue to â€Å"dehumanize† her. Her brutality is continued in her loveless marriage to Mr. , who beats and uses her for sexual convenience. One way to endure the torture is to tell herself â€Å"Celie, you a tree† (23). The other way she is able to tolerate her plight of isolation and despair is through writing letters to God. The letters affords her a voice which otherwise she does not have. Celie’s relationship with her sister Nettie goes beyond just a sisterly bond. Nettie turns out to be the first person to show Celie true unconditional love. With Celie’s children being taken away from her, Nettie fills her void of motherly obligation. Celie wants to guarantee Nettie’s well-being and puts Nettie first for everything. Celie’s view of Nettie as someone filled with potential is in direct contradiction to how Celie sees herself; however, it never stops Nettie from trying to teach Celie so she can open her mind to what is going on in the world around her. When Celie’s husband tells her Nettie has to leave, it is like a ton of bricks lands on Celie. Nettie is the only person from whom Celie ever felt love. When Nettie leaves, she encourages Celie â€Å"to fight,† but Celie is so broken she says she only knows how to â€Å"stay alive† (18). Celie’s mental state is still that of an abused victim: she is encapsulated in a world of deep despair, but Nettie has planted a seed that will grow and eventually take her to a place of confidence. Alice Walker introduces Sofia, a bold, headstrong woman that illustrates assertiveness and self-dignity. Mr. ’s son, Harpo, marries Sofia because he loves her, but later tries to make her succumb to him through brutal force. Harpo has grown up seeing his father physically abuse Celie in order to get his way and when he asks Celie what he should do to get his headstrong wife to submit to him, Celie tells him he should beat her. Celie sees little or no value in herself. She survives victimization by accepting that fighting back will only cause more harm than good. Anyone can do or say anything they want to Celie since she has accepted her place and submits to the violence. With telling Harpo to beat his wife, Celie is once again showing her abused mentality: she truly believes that physical oppression by husbands is normal. Critic Stacie Lynn Hankinson contends Celie portrays â€Å"a survival-of-the-fittest perspective, which pitted her against, rather than aligning her with, other women. † After Sofia learns of the betrayal of Celie, she boldly confronts her only to figure out Celie is actually on her side. Sofia tells Celie â€Å"All my life I had to fight† (40). Sofia embodies something that would not allow her to be a victim, no matter who she has to fight. Celie professes her jealousy of Sofia because she unfortunately did not have the strength to fight and was continuously a victim. Sofia offers something to Celie she never had before; moral support. Sofia’s constant retaliation against Harpo assists Celie to understand that rebellion, fighting, is a way to escape victimization. Celie’s lack of confidence resides in her fear of not being loved. When Shug Avery, a Blues singer and her husband’s lover, enters Celie’s life, Celie become conscious of an intimate, trusting love, which empowers Celie to assert herself. Shug enables Celie to freely express herself and talk about all the unfortunate things that have happened to her over the years. Shug also helps Celie find her voice and change how she views herself. After Shug tells Celie â€Å"you still a virgin† Celie starts to look at herself less as a victim and gradually lessens her acceptance of ill treatment and stands up for herself (78). Shug shows Celie how having a powerful voice can be pivotal in changing their life. Walker uses the relationship between Shug and Celie as a way to emphasize consistency and a strong bond. Shug is not only Celie’s confidant but there is a role reversal and Celie becomes Shug’s confidant. Their conversations bring up points not only do they think about, but the reader might as well. â€Å"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it† (197). After her conversations with Shug Celie realizes she must strip her mind of the impression of God that her male-dominated society has placed on her and replace it with a holistic one. Celie’s recognition of God as a Creator allows her to establish a place in her society and finally love herself, just as she is. Marc A. Cristophe agrees as he writes in his essay The Color Purple: An Existential Novel, â€Å"she has rejoined the community of men and women; she has found herself, her own place †¦and is able to marvel at the creation, at life itself. †

Diagnostic Tests for Agents of Community- Acquired Pneumonia Essay

Worldwide, lower respiratory tract infections are the major cause of death due to an infectious disease. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is possibly the most important infectious disease that is encountered in clinical practice. Most forms of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are treatable. There is consensus that the selection of antimicrobial agents is notably simplified if the pathogen is defined. This article will focus on how aetiological tests can be used to guide antibiotic therapy in adult patients with CAP. The role of aetiological testing for antimicrobial therapy in CAP A major role of aetiological testing in CAP is to enable the use of pathogen-directed therapy, and thus reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and improve the outcome in patients. It has been suggested that the antibiotic therapy should be started within 4 h of hospital admission [4, 8], hence rapid tests with a shorter analysis time can be used to influence the choice of first-line antibiotic therapy. Rapid tests include, sputum gram strain, urinary antigen tests, and real-time PCR for respiratory pathogens. Less rapid tests, such as cultures, conventional PCR for respiratory pathogens, and serology, may provide useful information that may support ongoing antibiotic therapy, support narrowing of broad-spectrum therapy, and support therapy changes in case of treatment failure [3]. Culture of blood and respiratory specimens may be important for the identification of unexpected or uncommon CAP aetiologies that the empirical treatment does not cover for, e.g., Pseudomonas spp., methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and other highly resistant pathogens. Culture remains a cornerstone of the diagnostic techniques, as it can provide information abou... ...ing to the BTS and Swedish guidelines [7,8]. Suggested strategy for diagnostic testing A strategy for diagnostic testing in hospitalized CAP patients is presented in Table 3. It is based on disease severity and presence/absence of prior antibiotic therapy. Conclusion In order to cure CAP patients without causing unnecessary side effects and without contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance, antibiotic therapy should be carefully selected. Although patients with severe CAP should be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, patients with non-severe CAP should preferably receive pathogen-directed therapy. While rapid aetiological tests may be useful for targeting initial pathogen-directed therapy, non-rapid tests may support switch from broad- to narrow-spectrum antibiotic therapy and support therapy changes in the case of treatment failure.