The birth of the United States Navy on 13 October 1775 formed a defensive measure in response to the growing need to protect the commerce of a developing nation from the then largest navy in the world, the British fleet. Esek Hopkins, the brother of a powerful Rhode Island politician found himself selected as the first Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy. During the French and Indian War, Hopkins quickly emerged as an experienced merchantman as well as a participant in the profitable privateering of British commerce vessels. On Hopkins’ first mission as Commander in Chief, he found himself in a bind and resorts to his skills as a privateer rather than a Continental naval officer. Years later the United States continued to have problems with commerce raiders, this time with the Barbary Pirates of the Mediterranean Sea. A young man, the son of a Revolutionary privateer, became the answer to this problem; he was known as Stephen Decatur. Decatur led many successful missions in the Mediterranean and became famous for his leadership and heroism. A comparison of the careers of Hopkins and Decatur proves that the success of naval leaders depends not only upon their skill as mariners, but also upon experience, judgment, and luck.
Both Hopkins and Decatur came from seafaring families and were skilled sailors, but Decatur’s experience as a naval officer gave him an advantage over Hopkins. After ten years as a shipmaster on the West Indies Route, Hopkins proved his naval prowess as a successful privateer during the French and Indian War, indicating that he was “as good a warrior as a trader.” However, his lack of experience showed in his battle with the Glasgow, where he exercised little control over the ships within his command, operating as privateers rather than as a fleet. While Decatur had fewer years at sea, he had more military skill than Hopkins primarily because he garnered his experience within an organized navy rather than as a privateer operating independently. As a result, one could expect Decatur to be more successful in organized naval battles than Hopkins.
Decatur did not necessarily show better judgment than Hopkins, but his lapses of judgment seemed more popularly acceptable. Hopkins did not adequately consider political context in his decision-making. His actions in leaving the southern colonies unprotected in order to capture a fort in the Bahamas and his offering of the spoils to the northern colonies without consulting Congress showed his insensitivity to the need of the new nation to overcome separatism.
The Civil War in the United States from 1861 to 1865 serves as a dark reminder of how disjointed a nation can become over issues that persistently cause heated debate among party factions. Most students that have taken courses in American history understand the disadvantage possessed by the Confederate States of America as they fought against the powerful Union army for what they perceived as a necessary institution of slavery. Historians have debated over the effectiveness of the blockade and if it was important in creating the failures faced by the Confederate States of America. This debate has generated the contested question of “Did the Union blockade succeed in the American Civil War?” The blockade, whether considered a success or an absolute failure on the part of the Union, holds grand significance in the history of the United States. The increased development in the Union’s naval department correlates directly with the necessity of possessing ships that could withstand the threat of blockade running.
...hought it was interesting learning the various ways people had fought out in the sea, including the ways the young officers would eventually end up becoming the only Five-Star Fleet Admirals. In the book The Admirals the officers (Nimetz, King, Halsey, Leahy) prove that men should not be ranked on their skills or technology alone, but on both areas in a synchronized manner to overcome obstacles and rise above all other elements that stand in the way. The ships that the men grew fond of had become an inspiration to keep moving forward and succeed when it came to the battlefield. This thought would later become the thought that America has adopted to move forward when it comes to technology and build upon what has been learned. Anything from the structure of sea vessels to the artillery it carried did not only aid in war, but it aided in a country that could progress.
Roosevelt had been influencing the United States Navy to be stronger ever since he wrote The Naval War of 1812, while he was at Harvard. Theodore Roosevelt’s book puts the war in a whole new perspective. Roosevelt with the help of Captain Alfred T. Mahan and Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce identified that their common ground was that America had great power in her deep ocean waters and needed to use it. Those oceans needed a capable water fleet to operate them (The Naval Strategist). In 1890 Congress approved the building of the first modern steam-powered, steel-hulled ships. Out came the most excellent warships anywhere; they were named the Indiana, the Massachusetts, and the Oregon. Roosevelt was impressed with these ships, but he wanted more. Roosevelt wanted a two-ocean navy capable of attacking the Pacific and the Atlantic simultaneously (Grondahl 2015 246). Congress agreed and Roosevelt got what he wanted. Mahan and Roosevelt campaigned to strengthen the navy through their speeches and writings. The Navy was slow, bulky, short-haul monitors guarding the home shores and swift, light cruisers that shot out of protected ports to attack enemy ships. Theodore and Mahan’s writings and speeches changed that part of the Navy for the better (Grondahl 2015 246-247). Theodore changed the Navy several ways and not all by
General Edward Braddock was commander in chief of the British forces in North America during the actions at the start of the French and Indian war. Braddock was born in Perthshire, Scotland in January, 1695. His father was also named General Edward Braddock and his mother's name is unknown. Braddock was about sixty, a short, stout, bad-tempered martinet with little experience in action and none of the type of fighting that was in store for him. His rudeness and arrogance made a thoroughly bad impression on the colonials and were to contribute to a jaundiced view of the British officer class. In February 1755, the first British general to ever set foot in the colonies, Edward Braddock, arrived in Virginia. Edward Braddock, most famous for his disastrous mistake made during the French Indian War, led the British to a loss against the French.
Being the first war that the United States fought as an independent country, the First Barbary war was a good lesson on the strengths and weaknesses of the US military system. The extreme necessity of the Navy and Marines led to their permanent installment in the US Armed Forces.
The United States Merchant Marines are complied of thousands of the best trained men and women of today to man naval or commercial ships. Merchant Marines have dated back even further then the United States Coast Guard. The Merchant Marines have had a huge impact on the United States Navy since they have been established. Merchant Marines have manned fleets of ships for the U.S. Navy which carry imports and export during peace time. Once wartime rolls around, they become naval auxiliary, to ship and deliver troops and war materials. The largest participation came from the United States Merchant Marines after the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. Due to the act of 1936, the controversial question is when the greatest impact of the Merchant Marines on the United States Navy was during World War 2 and Vietnam War. The merchant marines were called upon to active duty and they responded helping the United States Navy.
Psalm 130 is an unnamed psalm in the Hebrew psalter composed by a penitential Israelite. The church has made great use of the psalms. It was written by and anonymous author but is suggested that it could be Hezekiah. It was written during the time of Moses (approximately, 1440 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.). The authors of the Psalms are accredited to David who wrote 73 psalms; Asaph who wrote 12, the sons of Korah who wrote 9; Solomon who wrote 2, Heman (with the sons of Korah), Ethan, and Moses each wrote one; and 51 psalms are anonymous. The New Testament ascribes two of the anonymous Psalms (2and 95) to David. The purpose of Psalms 130 is to provide poetry for the expression of praise, worship, and confession to God. The
Unlike things like fossil fuels that will run out the, sun will always be there. You can’t ever
I was born and raised in rural Oromia in Ethiopia. My mother did not receive any formal education. My father had to quit at third grade because he did not have any support. I had to move away from my family when I was about 10 years old and live with relatives so that I could attend school. Life away from home was very difficult. Early in the morning, way before school starts, I had to go to the river and fetch water for the family I was living with. Every day after school I had to go to the nearby forests to collect fire wood and carry it home on my head. Every Saturday, I had to go to the open market, half an hour away, to purchase and carry home items needed for the household. Every weekend I had to hand wash clothes for all members of the household and iron them. In short, I had to endure humiliation, hunger, and abuse in order to stay in school. Regardless of the difficulties, though, I was always one of the top students. In college, I relied on the assistance of strangers and summer job to stay afloat. At the end, I graduated as the top student of the year and was awarded the President’s Cup. Thus, I became the first in my family, both on my father and mother’s side, to earn a college degree.
Most of the people in our modern day society are beginning to realize that fossil fuels are becoming more rare and are damage our planet, this creates the need for a more sustainable form of energy. Solar energy is one of them and is becoming more and more important and will hopefully soon replace this obsolete technology.
With this much energy coming from the sun, and if it’s harnessed for practical purposes such as heating homes, lighting bulbs and running automobiles and even airplanes (Why is solar the best energy solution, 2008). The sun will always be there; therefore solar energy’s main source will always be at large. Unlike nuclear energy which requires the process of fission for uranium which isn’t as easily accessible or the production of geothermal energy would require it to be mostly from volcanic areas, geysers, and/or hot springs, solar energy is in closer reach for consumers.
Many adults and children are living in poverty because they either had no education or didn’t have the luxury to receive an education. For example, my dad was forced to drop out of elementary school and helped my grandfather with agricultural support to provide food for 9 of his younger siblings when he was merely a child himself. According to Humanium, “children from disadvantaged backgrounds are forced to abandon their education… in order to work and provide support for their family” (Humanium 1). In today’s society, one of the most important ways to get by is through an education. Many young adults and children in America take an education for granted. For example, dropping out. A child’s job in America is to go to school for 12 years, when in Africa children yearn and hope for an education yet their job is helping put food on the table. Poverty becomes a never ending cycle, especially when it comes to education, since children of lower income families cannot afford to go to school such as those children with higher incomes. Therefore, the wealthy remain wealthy and the poor remain
When polled, over 50% of all Americans believe the death penalty should be used in the justice system. One of the arguments from people who support the death penalty is the effectiveness of the punishment. Once it is used there is a guarantee that the person guilt of the crime will no longer be able to commit that crime nor any other crime. Also many people feel that the death penalty is morally justified in that people who would be sentenced to the death penalty, such as murderers or rapists, would then be repaid in kind from a moral standpoint. From an economic standpoint Capital Punishment may benefit the prison system. By executing prisoners serving life sentences the state could possibly save years worth of funds that would have otherwise been spent on keeping those prisoners alive. These funds could then be devoted to other government institutions, such as schools or
The future impacts of poverty result in reduced lifetime earnings, poorer health outcomes and limited future opportunities. The impacts on society as a result of a poorly educated population include increased health care costs, lower productivity growth and increased the rate of criminal offending (Boston, 2013). Michael & Dwyer (2008) claim that in the economy of the future there will be even fewer employment opportunities for people with limited education. Such a claim places further hardship on those suffering from poverty, especially when research indicates that those effected by poverty show an increased likelihood of leaving school with little or no academic attainment (Michael & Dwyer, 2008). Research from additional studies show that large proportions of children born into disadvantaged families do not enjoy high levels of educational success (Boston, 2013). Children suffering from the effects of poverty also have a lower prospect of achieving higher academic aspirations due to a strong belief that university studies is for those belonging to middle class families (Thrupp, 2006). Michael & Dwyer’s (2008) report concludes that the completion of education is clearly the best protector against long-term poverty. However, educational economist Helen Ladd (2012) suggests that
People aren’t just living in poverty but they also are uneducated not because they don’t want too go to school but because most of the time they either can’t afford it, work to make a living which is barely enough, or were they live does not provide education. Those whom suffer the most are the children, because they are in a critical state in which they are growing up and are in need of nutrition their brain is also developing and for that they need to go to school and learn and a lot of them don 't get that opportunity or they can 't afford it either because they have to stay home and help out with work with their parents and provide the little they can for their families. Another main concern of mine is how those families who struggle to make a living never advance in life because the lack of support from other countries or society neglects them and use them as hard labor workers who aren’t paid enough.There is a variety of sources to help me dig into this concept. Since poverty is an issue im sure im not the only one who has a research paper on this sites and articles are full of information i 'm looking for in order to gain a good perspective on poverty and its