Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution Essay

Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution is a book that extensively covers the origin and ideas preceding the American Revolution. Wood’s account of the Revolution goes beyond the history and timeline of the war and offers a new encompassing look inside the social ideology and economic forces of the war. Wood explains in his book that America went through a two-stage progression to break away from the Monarchical rule of the English. He believes the pioneering revolutionaries were rooted in the belief of an American Republic. However, it was the radical acceptance of democracy that was the final step toward independence. The transformation between becoming a Republic, to ultimately becoming a democracy, is where Wood’s†¦show more content†¦It is the colonist self-motivated social and economic interests, which leads to the transformation they had been yearning for. Wood contributes several different social and economic factors to the transformation. The first social factor that led to the reformation was the colonist self-interest. The colonist self-interest seemed to conflict with principles of republicanism. The self-interest of the colonists led to capitalistic traits, while the republican idea of self-sacrifice was put on the back burner. It was natural for the colonists to want to advance their social and economic standards to that of the elite. The problem being republican virtues had to be sacrificed to gain individual prominence. Social factors played an important role in the transformation from a monarchy to a democracy. However, there were also economic factors that played an intricate role. One such economic force was trade interaction among the colonists. People became independent on one another for their lively hood. Through inner-commerce people began to share the same interests and the same goals. This was a change from previous republican views on trade. People became inherently dependent on one another instead of being dependent on the government. At this point in history you can begin to see the social ties of Americans grow stronger. Wood writes on the changingShow MoreRelatedRadicalism of the American Revolution990 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book Radicalism of the American Revolution, written by Gordon S. Wood, the author states, The Revolution was the most radical and far reaching event in American history.† What about the American Revolution made it so â€Å"radical?† Wood believes it to be so radical because it not only brought change politically from British monarch to American rule which is what we are used to, but it also brought about changes in the basic structure of American society. Within the revolution there was more thanRead MoreAnalysis of Linda Kerber’s Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America 690 Words   |  3 Pages Linda Kerber’s Women of the Republic: Intellect and Ideology in Revolutionary America was a refreshing historian analysis of the role of women in our nation’s history. In the early Revolution eras, the political role of women was nonexistent due to the traditional roles held by the patriarchal society the colonists lived in for most of their years. Kerber intertwined her book with an intelligent analysis, but also conveys this analysis in a clear way so that reader can comprehend further. ThroughoutRead MoreWas The American Revolution Revolutionary?1549 Words   |  7 Pagesextent was the American Revolution revolutionary, one must define qualifications to accredit such a revolution. Is a revolution defined as a complete and utmost overthrow of an established government by a new regime? Or is a revolution defined as a subversive change in societal values/roles that changes the structures of a pre-existing social order? Or possibly both? In light of both definitions, one can evaluate that the American Revolution was indeed revolutionary because American colonists were

Savage Inequalities Children in Americas Schools Free Essay Example, 1250 words

Probably, the most illustrative example of discrimination is the school system in St. Louis, the most distressed small city in America (Kozol, 1991, p. 18), where nonwhite residents dominate. The author reasonably describes the unfavorable background of this area, drawing attention not only to schools but also to overall conditions people are trapped in poor sanitation, irregular trash collection, low-income rate among the residents, poisonous waste from chemical plants and unemployment. Local children suffer from dental problems, undernutrition, underimmunization (only $2.40 for a child s nutrition per day (Kozol, 1991, p. 49) and poor dynamics of development due to a complex effect of a variety of external factors. Providing an example of the East St. Louis high school that was overflowed with sewage, Kozol portrays the image of the public school that lacks even the elementary resources and welfare to adjust and organize educational process (shortage of paper, textbooks and chalk , overcrowded classes, late salary payouts for teachers, inadequate sport facilities condition etc. , let alone the quality of education itself. On the other hand, the sharp contrast to suburban schools in more affluent areas of the country is emphasized, for these predominantly white schools do not suffer from the same problems and are rather wealthy (Kozol, 1991, p. 74). We will write a custom essay sample on Savage Inequalities Children in Americas Schools or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now What is also noteworthy, Kozol offers a comparison of inner-city schools with different geographical locations, as it is likely that such analysis can provide more examples of how segregation and social class discrimination are maintained in close proximity to us. For instance, the public school in New Trier is a favorable place to study, for it is aimed at making its students successful and has the full range of facilities and good conditions for studying. At the same time, this respectable educational institution serves only 1.3 percent of black students with others belonging to the racial majority.

Corrections Timeline Free Essays

This essay is going to show the development with four eras of the correctional system. The four eras that will be discussed with be: 1800, 1960, 1980 and 2000. For each era we will go over the description of the holding or monitoring of the offenders, the treatment and punishment of the offenders and the influences of the particular era on today’s correctional system. We will write a custom essay sample on Corrections Timeline or any similar topic only for you Order Now The conclusion will discuss the most beneficial era to the correctional system, as well as, recommendations for ways in which the current correctional system could be improved upon. Penitentiary era 1800’s With the ideas of The Age of Enlightenment growing in popularity, a new concept of criminal punishment came into play; the penitentiary. The penitentiary first appeared in 1790 when the Philadelphia Walnut Street Jail was expanded to allow separate confinement of inmates. The western State Penitentiary was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1819, as well as the Auburn State Penitentiary in New York. The Auburn State Penitentiary was based on a congregate system. Seeks to redeem offenders through a well-ordered routine of the prison, implementing strict discipline, labor, obedience, and silence. The inmates were held in isolation at night but congregated in workshops during the day. They could not talk or look at each other while working or at meals. The work consisted of hard labor, such as the construction of roads or buildings. The inmates had to walk in unison, in a formation known as the lock step. The goal of The Auburn State Penitentiary was to redeem the offender through the well-organized practice of the prison (Clear, Cole, Reisig, 2009). In 1821 after many years of lobbying from the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons, the Pennsylvania Legislature approves funding to build the Eastern State Penitentiary. The new prison will hold 250 inmates. In 1829 Masks are fabricated to keep the inmates from communicating during rare trips outside their cells. Cells are equipped with feed doors and individual exercise yards to prevent contact between inmates, and minimize contact between inmates and guards. In 1839, the County of Chester built its first off site jail at Market and New Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania. This structure subsequently underwent alteration and additions up until 1941. This Prison was modeled after the Walnut Street jails in Philadelphia the first County institution which was built in 1770. The only differences were the sanitary provisions, beds and heating for each cell. 1862 – A cabinet shop is opened in the prison. In the next ten years, the prison will add a shoe shop, a tailor shop, a wagon factory, and an expansion to the cabinet shop for other furniture and chairs. By 1878, the revenues will be sufficient to allow the prison to run without drawing appropriations from the state’s treasury. A knitting industry is added in 1893, a twine plant in 1912, a cannery in 1915, a license plate operation in 1917, a print shop in the early 1920s, and a laundry in 1940. The laundry, license plate, wood and metal furniture, printing and signage, silk-screening, and tailoring operations survive to this day at the prison. Community Era 1960’s to 1980. During this era there were lot of Development of behavioral techniques in 1930s and 1940s brought about concept of treatment in prisons. â€Å"Correctional Facilities. † Treatment based on â€Å"medical model. † Individual and group therapy programs evolved. Neurosurgery- Used to control aggressive behavior and destructive urges – frontal lobotomies were part of this approach. Sensory deprivation- Denial of stimulation by isolating prisoners in quiet, secluded environment. Aversion therapy- Drugs and/or electric shock used to teach prisoner to associate negative behavior with pain and displeasure. Today’s Prisons In today’s prisons Whites – 1229 incarcerated per 100,000 white males in their late 20’s. Blacks – 10,376 incarcerated per 100,000 black males in their late 20’s. the prisons today with the maximum system looks like the: high fences/walls of concrete barriers between living area and outer perimeter, electric perimeters, laser motion detectors, electronic and pneumatic locking systems, metal detectors, X-ray machines and television surveillance. Medium security prison, Similar in design to maximum security facilities, however, they allow prisoners more freedom. In them, prisoners can usually: associate with other prisoners, go to the prison yard, use exercise room/equipment, visit the library and take showers and use bathroom facilities with less supervision. Also in the medium security prison they usually have dormitory style housing. Cells and living quarters tend to have more windows. These facilities tend to have barbed wire fences instead of large stone walls. Last we have the minimum security prisons which: Housing tends to be dormitory style and prisoners usually have freedom of movement within the facility. Work is done under general supervision only. Guards are unarmed, and gun towers do not exist. Fences, if they exist, are low and sometimes unlocked. â€Å"Counts† are usually not taken. Prisoners are sometimes allowed to wear their own clothes. I believe that all the eras had a lot to do with how far we have come in the correctional system today. I would have to say that the way we are running the system today is the best we have had and we will continue to learn and over time will make the system better. How to cite Corrections Timeline, Papers

Fahrenheit 451 (770 words) Essay Example For Students

Fahrenheit 451 (770 words) Essay Fahrenheit 451John F. Kennedy once said, Conformity is jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. This quote relates directly to the novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. According to this statement, when a person is told how to live their own lives they often forget to make their own decisions, and they are no longer their own person. Conformity is following all commands and laws regardless of ones own beliefs. In the story, Guy Montag followed the rules set forth by the government, never second-guessing them. He never once thought of what these regulations really meant, or what the effects of his actions were. He never really experienced freedom. This quote expresses the changes that he made in his life. The book Fahrenheit 451, set in the future, shows rules that the world today would think of as outrageous laws. The most apparent law shown in the novel is that citizens of the country are unauthorized to own any type of book, or medium that expresses knowledge or the opinions of people. Although that this law is very well known in the land, it is often broken by those who refuse to give up reading books for entertainment or religious purposes. What the modern worlds definition of a Fireman is today does not match the definition of a Fireman in this novel. Firemen in Fahrenheit 451 are employed with the sole purpose of starting fires as opposed to putting them out and saving lives. The fires started by these Firemen are provoked by reports that the owners of the building that is to be destroyed are hiding illegal books in the establishment. Guy Montag is a Fireman in this novel. He lives his whole life never thinking about what a book is or why it was so important for people to risk their lives to have them. His whole mindset on life changes when he meets an amazing girl named Clarisse McClellan. She begins to have Montag question his lifestyle and other aspects of life in general. This girl fully believes that she is has the right to live her own life, no matter what the rules of the government may be. McClellan begins to serve as an inspiration to Guy Montag. By the end of the story Montag has totally gone against the regulations of the government and his employers, and he begins a new, free life. Ray Bradbury, the author of Fahrenheit 451, uses many literary techniques to express the importance of freedom in a mans life. In the story Firemen, along with the government, are used as the antagonists of all problems that take place. The protagonist is at first Clarisse, and finally Montag, at the end. This shows that the character of Montag did change in the story after he no longer subsided to any rules. Irony was also used in this novel. This technique took place when Guy Montag, a Fireman, began to collect books and defy his countrys laws. This was a very unpredictable and surprising situation for the reader. This irony pertains to the quote by explaining that once a man truly believes that he is free he no longer abides by ridiculous laws or regulations. The author of this story also compared the wife of Montag to her friends. Because the three women abided by the same laws, they each acted the same, and seemed to have identical personalities. The quote explains this by sayin g that conformity is the enemy of growth. Therefore, Ray Bradbury wrote this novel exceptionally, and he used many different ways of writing to get his point across. In Conclusion, when one does not choose to live their own life, and they follow the rules set forth by others, neither change nor growth will occur in a persons life. Guy Montag, of the novel Fahrenheit 451, chose to live by this quote toward the end of the story. He learned that by following his own guidelines he would be the controller of the outcome of his life. Once he began to demonstrate actions that he felt were acceptable his personality changed enormously. The author of this novel, Ray Bradbury, did an admirable job expressing the changes that Montag experienced. He used many different literary techniques to show the growth that Mr. Guy Montag went through in the novel. This story was a perfect example of what may happen when a human is told what to do, instead of having the option of doing what they truly beli eve they should. According to John F. Kennedy, Conformity is jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth. Book Reports