US History free essay sample

Emancipation increased the power of black men within the family. Black women withdrew from work as field laborers and house servants to the domestic sphere. Church and School Blacks abandoned white-controlled religious institutions to create churches of their own. Blacks of all ages flocked to the schools established by northern missionary societies, the Freedmans Bureau, and groups of ex-slaves. Political Freedom The right to vote inevitably became central to the former slaves desire for empowerment and equality. To demonstrate their patriotism, blacks throughout the South organized Fourth of July celebrations.Land, Labor, and Freedom Former slaves ideas of freedom were directly related to land ownership. Many former slaves insisted that through their unpaid labor, they had acquired a right to the land. Masters without Slaves The Souths defeat was complete and demoralizing. Planter families faced profound changes. Most planters defined black freedom in the narrowest manner. The Free Labor Vision The victorious Republican North tried to implement its own vision of freedom. We will write a custom essay sample on US History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Free labor The Freedmans Bureau was to establish a working free labor system. The Freedmans BureauThe task of the Bureau-?establishing schools, providing aid to the poor and aged, settling disputes, etc. -?was daunting, especially since it had fewer than 1,000 agents. The Bureaus achievements in some areas, notably education and health care, were striking. The Failure of Land Reform president Andrew Johnson ordered nearly all land in federal hands returned to its former owners. Because no land distribution took place, the vast majority of rural freed people remained poor and without property during Reconstruction. Sharecropping came to dominate the cotton South and much of the tobacco belt.Sharecropping initially arose as a compromise between blacks desire for land and planters desire for labor discipline. The White Farmer The aftermath of the war hurt small white farmers. Crop-lien system (use of crop as collateral for loans from merchants for supplies) White farmers increased cotton cultivation, cotton prices plummeted, and they found themselves unable to pay back loans. Both black and white farmers found themselves caught in the sharecropping and crop- lien systems. Southern cities experienced remarkable growth after the Civil War. Rise of a new middle class Aftermaths of SlaveryThe Reconstruction-era debates over transitioning from slavery to freedom had parallels in other Western Hemisphere countries where emancipation occurred in the nineteenth century. Only in the united States did former slaves gain political rights quickly. The Making of Radical Reconstruction Andrew Johnson Johnson identified himself as the champion of the honest yeomen and a foe of large planters. Johnson lacked Lincoln political skills and keen sense of public opinion. Johnson believed that African-Americans had no role to play in Reconstruction. The Failure of Presidential ReconstructionJohnnys plan for Reconstruction offered pardons to the white southern elite. Johnnys plan allowed the new state governments a free hand in managing local affairs. The Black Codes Southern governments began passing new laws that restricted the freedom of blacks. These new laws violated free labor principles and called forth a vigorous response from the Republican North. The Radical Republicans Radical Republicans called for the dissolution Of Johnnys State governments, the establishment of new governments that did not have rebels in power, and the guarantee of the right to vote for black men.The Radicals fully embraced the expanded powers of the federal government born of the Civil War. Charles Summer Thatched Stevens Thatched Stevens most cherished aim was to confiscate the land of disloyal planters and divide it among former slaves and northern migrants to the South. His plan was too radical for most others in Congress. The Origins of Civil Rights Most Republicans were moderates, not radicals. Senator Lyman Truthful of Illinois proposed two bills to modify Johnnys policy: Extend the life of the Freedmans Bureau Civil Rights Bill (equality before the law was central; it SOL_Aught to overturn theBlack Codes) Johnson vetoed both bills. Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill over his veto and later extended the life of the F-redeemers Bureau. The Fourteenth Amendment It placed in the Constitution the principle of citizenship for all persons born in the United States and empowered the federal government to protect the rights of all Americans. It did not grant blacks the right to vote. The Reconstruction Act Johnson campaigned against the Fourteenth Amendment in the 1866 midterm elections. In March 1867, over Johnnys veto, Congress adopted the Reconstruction Act, which: Divided the South into five military districtsCalled for creation of new southern state governments, with black men given the vote The Reconstruction Act thus began Radical Reconstruction, which lasted until 1877 . Impeachment and the Election of Grant To demonstrate his dislike for the Ten ere of Office Act, Johnson removed the secretary of war from office in 1868. Johnson was impeached and the Senate fell one vote short from removing him from office. The Fifteenth Amendment Ulysses S. Grant won the 1 868 presidential election. The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified in 1870. It prohibited federal and state governments from denying any citizen the right o vote because of race.Did not extend suffrage to women The Great Constitutional Revolution The laws and amendments of Reconstruction reflected the intersection of two products of the Civil War era-?a newly empowered national state and the idea of a national citizenry enjoying equality before the law. Before the Civil War, American citizenship had been closely linked to race. The new amendments also transformed the relationship between the federal government and the states. The Rights of Women The destruction of slavery led feminists to search for ways to make the promise of free labor real for women.Some feminists (Elizabeth Caddy Stanton, Susan B. Anthony) opposed the Fifteenth Amendment because it did not enfranchise women. The divisions among feminists led to the creation of two hostile womens rights organizations that would not reunite until the sass. Despite their limitations, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the Reconstruction Act of 1867 marked a radical departure in American and world history. Radical Reconstruction in the South The Tocsin of Freedom Among the former slaves, the passage of the Reconstruction Act inspired an outburst of political organization. Blacks used direct action to remedy long- tanning grievances. The union League aided blacks in the public sphere. By 1870, the Union had been restored and southern states had Republican majorities. The Black Officeholder Two thousand African-Americans occupied public offices during Reconstruction. Fourteen elected to U. S. House Of Representatives Two elected to U. S. Senate Carpetbaggers and Scalawags Carpetbaggers were northern-born white Republicans who made their homes in the South after the war, with many holding political office. Scalawags were southern-born white Republicans.Some were wealthy (e. G. , James Acorn, a Mississippi planter) Most had been p-country non-slaveholders before the Civil War and some had been Unionists during the war. Southern Republicans in Power Southern Republican governments established the Souths first state- supported public schools. The new governments also pioneered civil rights legislation. Republican governments took steps to strengthen the position of rural laborers and to promote the Souths economic recovery. The Quest for Prosperity During Reconstruction, every state helped to finance railroad construction.Investment opportunities in the West lured more northern investors than southern investors, and economic development remained weak in the South. The Overthrow of Reconstruction Reconstructions Opponents Corruption did exist during Reconstruction, but it was not confined to a race, region, or party. Opponents could not accept the idea of former slaves voting, holding office, and enjoying equality before the law. A Reign of Terror Secret societies sprang up in the South with the aim of preventing blacks from voting and destroying the organization of the Republican Party. The UK Klux Klan was organized in 1866. It launched what one victim called a reign of terror against Republican leaders, black and white. Example: Collar, Louisiana, massacre (1873) Congress and President Grant, with the passage of three Enforcement Acts in 1870 and 1871 , put an end to the KILL Klux Klan by 1872. The Liberal Republicans The Norths commitment to Reconstruction waned during the 1 sass. Some Republicans, alienated from Grant by corruption in his administration, formed the Liberal Republican Party.Horace Greenly The Norths Retreat The Liberal attack on Reconstruction contributed to a resurgence of racism in the North. The 1873 depression also distracted the North from Reconstruction. The Supreme Court whittled away at Congresss guarantees of black rights. Slaughterhouse Cases (1873) United States v. Cruickshank (1876) The Triumph of the Redeemers Redeemers claimed to have redeemed the white South from corruption, misgovernment, and northern and black control. The Disputed Election and Bargain of 1877 The election between Rutherford B.Hayes (Republican) and Samuel Titled (Democrat) was very close, with disputed electoral votes from Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Congress set up a special Electoral Commission to determine the winner of the disputed votes. Behind the scenes, Hayes made a bargain to allow southern white Democrats to control the South if his election was accepted. The compromise led to Hayss election and the Democrats having a free hand in the South. The End of Reconstruction Reconstruction ended in 1877. It would be nearly a century before the nation again tried to bring equal rights to the descendants of slaves. Introduction: The Statue of Liberty] The Second Industrial Revolution The Industrial Economy By 1 913, the United States produced one-third of the worlds industrial output. The 1880 census showed for the first time that a majority of the workforce engaged in infirming jobs. The growth of cities was vital for financing industrialization. Great Lakes region Pittsburgh Chicago Railroads and the National Market The railroad made possible what is sometimes called the second industrial revolution. The growing population formed an ever-expanding market for the mass production, mass distribution, and mass marketing of goods.The Spirit of Innovation Scientific breakthroughs and technological innovation spurred growth. Thomas Edison Competition and Consolidation The economy suffered prolonged downturns between 1873 and 1897. Businesses engaged in ruthless competition. To avoid cutthroat competition, more and more corporations battled to control entire industries. Between 1 897 and 1 904, 4,000 firms vanished into larger corporations. The Rise of Andrew Carnegie The railroad pioneered modern techniques of business organization. By the sass, Carnegie dominated the steel industry.Vertical integration Carnages life reflected his desire to succeed and his desire to give back to society. The Triumph of John D. Rockefeller John D. Rockefeller dominated the oil industry. Industrial leaders were considered either captains of industry or robber barons. Workers Freedom in an Industrial Age For a minority of workers, the rapidly expanding industrial system created new forms Of freedom. For most workers, economic insecurity remained a basic fact of life. Between 1 880 and 1 900, an average of 35,000 workers perished each year in factory and mine accidents, the highest rate in the industrial world.Class divisions became more and more visible. Many of the wealthiest Americans consciously pursued an aristocratic lifestyle. Thorniest Bubble on conspicuous consumption The working class lived in desperate conditions. The Transformation of the West A Diverse Region The political and economic incorporation of the American West was part of a global process. The federal government acquired Indian land by war and readies, administered land sales, and distributed land to farmers, railroads, and mining companies. Farming in the Trans-Mississippi West More land came into cultivation during the thirty years after the Civil War than during the previous two-and-a-half centuries of American history. Farming was difficult and much of the burden fell to women. As crop production increased, prices fell and small farmers throughout the world suffered severe difficulties during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The future of western farming ultimately lay with giant agricultural enterprises, as seen in California. The Cowboy and the Corporate West Cowboys became symbols of a life of freedom on the open range.

A Short History of the Great Depression

A Short History of the Great Depression The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to 1941,  was a severe economic downturn caused by  an overly-confident,  over-extended stock market and a drought that struck the South.   In an attempt to end the Great Depression, the U.S. government took  unprecedented direct action to help  stimulate the economy. Despite this help, it was  the increased production needed for ​World War II that finally ended the Great Depression. The Stock Market Crash After nearly a decade of optimism and prosperity, the United States was thrown into despair on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed and the official beginning of the Great Depression. As stock prices plummeted with no hope of recovery, panic struck. Masses and masses of people tried to sell their stock, but no one was buying. The stock market, which had appeared to be the surest way to become rich, quickly became the path to bankruptcy. And yet, the Stock Market Crash was just the beginning. Since many banks had also invested large portions of their clients savings in the stock market, these banks were forced to close when the stock market crashed. Seeing a few banks close caused another panic across the country. Afraid they would lose their own savings, people rushed to banks that were still open to withdraw their money. This massive withdrawal of cash caused additional banks to close. Since there was no way for a banks clients to recover any of their savings once the bank had closed, those who didnt reach the bank in time also became bankrupt. 1:44 Watch Now: What Led to the Great Depression? Unemployment Businesses and industry were also affected. Despite President Herbert Hoover asking businesses to maintain their wage rates, many businesses, having lost much of their own capital in either the Stock Market Crash or the bank closures, started cutting back their workers hours or wages.  In turn, consumers began to curb their spending, refraining from purchasing such things as luxury goods. This lack of consumer spending caused additional businesses to cut back wages or, more drastically, to lay off some of their workers. Some businesses couldnt stay open even with these cuts and soon closed their doors, leaving all their workers unemployed. Unemployment was a huge problem during the Great Depression. From 1929 to 1933, the unemployment rate in the United States rose from  3.2% to the incredibly high 24.9%- meaning that one out of every four people were out of work.   PhotoQuest / Getty Images The Dust Bowl In previous depressions, farmers were usually safe from the severe effects of the depression because they could at least feed themselves. Unfortunately, during the Great Depression, the Great Plains were hit hard with both a drought and horrendous dust storms, creating what became known as the Dust Bowl. Years and years of overgrazing combined with the effects of a drought caused the grass to disappear. With just topsoil exposed, high winds picked up the loose dirt and whirled it for miles. The dust storms destroyed everything in their paths, leaving farmers without their crops. Small farmers were hit especially hard. Even before the dust storms hit, the invention of the tractor drastically cut the need for manpower on farms. These small farmers were usually already in debt, borrowing money for seed and paying it back when their crops came in. When the dust storms damaged the crops, not only could the small farmer not feed himself and his family, he could not pay back his debt. Banks would then foreclose on the small farms and the farmers family would be both homeless and unemployed. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Riding the Rails During the Great Depression, millions of people were out of work across the United States. Unable to find another job locally, many unemployed people hit the road, traveling from place to place, hoping to find some work. A few of these people had cars, but most hitchhiked or rode the rails. A large portion of the people who rode the rails were teenagers, but there were also older men, women, and entire families who traveled in this manner. They would board freight trains and crisscross the country, hoping to find a job in one of the towns along the way. When there was a job opening, there were often literally a thousand people applying for the same job. Those who werent lucky enough to get the job would perhaps stay in a shantytown (known as Hoovervilles) outside of town. Housing in the shantytown was built out of any material that could be found freely, like driftwood, cardboard, or even newspapers. The farmers who had lost their homes and land usually headed west to California, where they heard rumors of agricultural jobs. Unfortunately, although there was some seasonal work, the conditions for these families were transient and hostile. Since many of these farmers came from Oklahoma and Arkansas, they were called the derogatory names of Okies and Arkies. (The stories of these migrants to California were immortalized in the fictional book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.) Roosevelt and the New Deal The U.S. economy broke down and entered the Great Depression during the presidency of Herbert Hoover. Although President Hoover repeatedly spoke of optimism, the people blamed him for the Great Depression. Just as the shantytowns were named Hoovervilles after him, newspapers became known as Hoover blankets, pockets of pants turned inside out (to show they were empty) were called Hoover flags, and broken-down cars pulled by horses were known as Hoover wagons. During the 1932 presidential election, Hoover did not stand a chance at reelection and Franklin D. Roosevelt won in a landslide. People of the United States had high hopes that President Roosevelt would be able to solve all their woes. As soon as Roosevelt took office, he closed all the banks and only let them reopen once they were stabilized. Next, Roosevelt began to establish programs that became known as the New Deal. These New Deal programs were most commonly known by their initials, which reminded some people of alphabet soup. Some of these programs were aimed at helping farmers, like the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration). While other programs, such as the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and the WPA (Works Progress Administration), attempted to help curb unemployment by hiring people for various projects. The End of the Great Depression To many at the time, President Roosevelt was a hero. They believed that he cared deeply for the common man and that he was doing his best to end the Great Depression. Looking back, however, it is uncertain as to how much Roosevelts New Deal programs helped to end the Great Depression. By all accounts, the New Deal programs eased the hardships of the Great Depression; however, the U.S. economy was still extremely bad by the end of the 1930s. The major turn-around for the U.S. economy occurred after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the entrance of the United States into World War II. Once the U.S. was involved in the war, both people and industry became essential to the war effort. Weapons, artillery, ships, and airplanes were needed quickly. Men were trained to become soldiers and the women were kept on the home front to keep the factories going. Food needed to be grown for both the homefront and to send overseas. It was ultimately the entrance of the U.S. into World War II that ended the Great Depression in the United States.

Ford Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Ford Australia - Essay Example Next in scheme of things lies Cost and Market analysis, which probe into questions such as the resources FPV has at its disposal, and how well it's able to use them. The key metrics identified are: differentiation of markets, closeness of substitutes, barriers to entry and modes of competition. This presentation is helpful in building a macroeconomic risk assessment module looking into the impact of factors such as inflation, CPI, interest and exchange rates, examining various risk factors, thereby understanding FPV's business development plan. At a micro-level, the analysis would entail studying of internal forces such as manpower, growing opportunities, etc. The ultimate aim of our research is to develop a competitive strategy model, which is done through Porter method. FPV is a force to reckon with, in Australia's segment of high performance cars, with brands such as GT, GT-P, Pursuit, Super Pursuit, F6 Typhoon, F6 Tornado and Force (FPV website, 2006). Its major competitor is Melbourne-based HSV. The current FPV range is a mix of turbocharged inline 6-cylinder and V8-powered Falcons. Each brand has its own conceptual framework and design, and the constant focus of the brand FPV, is to maintain benchmarks set by V8 racing cars. At this point, it is important to lay emphasis on the genetic makeup i.e. the internal structure of the corporate entity called FPV. Initially owned by the UK-based Prodrive company Tickford, FPV joined hands with Ford Australia, as its tuning division to develop itself into the niche category called Motorsport. The major aim of any business organisation is to create and sustain value, through profits. FPV is no different. In very simplistic terms, Value, for any economic entity is measured by a parameter called Economic Value Added, which is defined as the value of an activity that remains after subtracting from it, the cost of opportunity of investing consumed resources, and sovereign debts that accumulate (Stewart III, 1991). In the field of corporate finance, this translates into the following equation (Stewart III, 1991): Return on capital = Net operating profit after Tax / Weighted Average Cost of Capital. As of 2004, Ford Australia recovered a Net profit after tax of $136 mn (Porter, 2004) on shareholder equity of $592 million, and the corresponding return on capital was 26.1% which is a fairly high value in medium-growth automobile industry (Porter, 2004). Thus, it is clear in no uncertain terms, that Ford Performance Vehicles is an enterprising segment in the Performance Cars category, and there is enough scope for organic, and balanced growth in future as demand for faster cars escalate, and infrastructure develops to keep pace with the surge in demand for these vehicles. In upcoming sections, we will elaborate more on the economic analysis of our case study company. Dimensions of the Market FPV has won the 2006 Australian Performance Car of the Year award. For FPV, "diversity" is an essential ingredient in its zeal to retain excellence as laid out by its fraternal organization (FPV website, 2006), for the fiercely competitive Australian business environment. Diversity encompasses its mission-critical drive to transform the