Jefferson Davis :: essays research papers

Jefferson Davis was born on June, 3rd, 1808, in Christian County, Kentucky. He was educated at Transylvania University and at the U.S. Military Academy. After his graduation in 1828, he served in the army until bad health forced him to residn in 1835. He was a farmer in Mississippi from 1835 to 1845. Then he was elected to the U.S. congress. In 1846, he resigned his seat in order to serve in the Mexican War and fought at Monterrey and Buena Vista, where he was wounded. He was a U.S. Senator from Mississippi from 1847 to 1857, and a U.S. Senator again from 1857 to 1861. As a Senator, he was in support of slavery and states' rights. "He also influenced Pice to sign in the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which favored the South and increased the bitterness of the struggle over slavery. (Encarta, Davis Jefferson. 97)" In his second term as a Senator he became the spokesman for the Southern point of view. He opposed the idea of secession from the Union as a way of maintaining the principles in the South. Even after the first steps toward secession had been taken, he tried to keep the Southern states in the Union. When the state of Mississippi seceeded, he withdrew from the Senate. On February 18, 1861, the congress of the Confederate States made him president. He was elected to the office by popular vote for a 6-year term and was inaugurated un Richmond, Virginia, the new capital of the Confederacy. He failed to raise enough money to fight the Civil War and could not obtain help for the Confederacy from foreign governments. One of the accomplishments of Jefferson Dacis, was the raising of the Confederate army. Davis had a difficult task to preform. He was the head of the new nation in the beginnings of a major war. The South had inferior railroads compared to the Union, no navy, no gunpowder mills, and a reat lack of arms and ammunition. "The South's only resource seemed to have been of cotton and courage." (Davis, W. P 128). Despite this, the Confederates demolished the North at the battle of Bull Run. Somehow, with limited resources, Dacis made facotries for arms, cannons, powders and ammunition. Old naval yards were restored and gunboats were built. Davis sent agents to Europe to buy arms and ammunition and representatives were sent to try and secure help from England and France.

If I Were President Essay

If I were president, I would focus on the central issue that will carry this country into the future: education. Education is the reason we are living in such an advanced time. We have touch screen, motion activated, voice command, and all these amazing things and all we have to thank is education. It has been our roots and rocks for years, and should be for many more to reach our high point. Education, although a long-term investment, will benefit this nation better than bailouts, mandatory health care coverage for children, investment in new energy sources, or the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Although it appears that there are more important, situations that the United States is facing now, the fact is that with an increase in education comes a decrease in these problems in the future. Without education, society will never understand the effects of drugs, the difference between religions, the importance of financial security for emergencies, the requirement for energy independence, or the need for health insurance. Education gives Americans higher wages, job flexibility and security, and growth in American ingenuity; however, education also gives one piece for prosperity that neither a government handout or an energy efficient car can bring, hope. One learns that with education come endless opportunities in all aspects. Throughout the world, education has brought hope for people. A chance for education brought hope to the young Afghan girl who finally learned to read. Education is one of few things that people can carry with them all their lives. Often times, what we learn in school, sticks with us for a long time to come. The need for Education can never be stressed enough! I believe that the more we are able to get children interested in getting their full education earlier in life, more people would be more successful. If we could have strongly educated teachers reaching out to kids and leading them down the path to the right education, I believe more of America would be successful. Had it not been for education, where do you think we’d be today? No phone, no internet, no electricity, no anything. We would live in a completely dead place. We would still be using men to carry stone, math to line pyramids up with the stars, leaves as clothes, and stick and stones to fight wars. I would stress education as much as possible because clearly, it was our past, it’s our present, and it will be out future!

Essay about The Puritans - 1156 Words

The Puritans were a religious group that came to North America in search of religious freedom, and, in the process, greatly impacted the North American church, government, education, social mores, and economy. Many of the things that they implemented in the first colonies are still seen today in the social and governmental structures of the United States. Their beliefs and traditions are still practiced today and many social mores are still being adhered to, even now. The Puritans first became a sect in England, where they became dissatisfied with the Church of England and sought reform. They led a civil war but their victory was short-lived and they came to North America to escape persecution. â€Å"The Puritans believed†¦show more content†¦Their government was in the form of a republic, which later became a model for the United State’s future government. They came up with the idea of two houses of representatives that could pass bills and as we can see in the U.S. government today, their idea stuck (Chamber, ). Even though their government was a republic, the Puritans pushed the principles of democracy. Their ideals, such as freedom, liberty, and religion, became a base for our society today. The Puritans also left a legacy of conservatism which remains an important factor in North American government today (The Social Studies Help Center). What’s more, Puritan influence helped shape North American constitutional and common laws, such as â€Å"Congress shall make no laws establishing religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (McGowan et al. v. Maryland). The Puritans’ greatest lasting impact was on education. They believed that education was important in order to understand the Bible, and therefore stressed the education of all persons. Religious zeal was the main drive for establishing a system of education. As stated in Puritanism in Early American History, â€Å"Puritan leaders 3 wanted a ministry that presented an educated and logical a ccount of scripture, and they wanted an audience that could comprehend the message† (Helium). It was this desire that led them to establish, first, the Free Grammar School in Boston, and then the North American public school systems. In addition to this, the Puritans are responsible for foundingShow MoreRelatedThe Puritan Views Of Puritans860 Words   |  4 PagesThe Puritans led their lives according to a strict moral code, centered around religion, which they had followed and conformed to. In addition conformity, Puritans believed, was crucial to uniting the community, and therefore resulted in anti-individualistic beliefs. However, when they deviated from the religious code they were threatened with banishment from the community and often experienced public shaming. Also the Puritans, whom had come to the colonies seeking religious freedom for themselvesRead MoreEnlightenment and Puritans782 Words   |  4 Pagesgiving little room for new ideas about the world. Puritan society found these new ideas of thought to be extremely radical in comparison to what they believed which was a belief of strong rational religion and morality. Enlightened society believed that the use of reason would be a catalyst of social change and had a demand of political representation thus resulting in a time in history where individualism was widely accepted amongst the new world. Puritan society believed strongly in myth, magic, andRead MoreThe Puritan Dilemma1539 Words   |  7 Pagestemptations is the sweetest, and will prove the safeste. 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Puritans valued education because people need to knowRead MoreSuccess Of The Puritans816 Words   |  4 PagesPuritan Essay The Puritans, came over to the New World in the seventeenth century, fleeing religious persecution. The Puritans settled in the New England, and many of the people that came over were families. They believed that they could purity the Anglican church from the inside, rather than separating from the Church altogether. The Puritans heavily relied on what God told them through the bible, and their ways/laws shows that. When the Puritans came to over, they had several goals. TheseRead MorePuritan Ideology763 Words   |  4 PagesTiffany American Literature Before 1865 14 February 2012 Puritan Ideology: Irresistible Grace Puritanism was a group of practices and principles that created reforms in doctrine and religion. The basic Puritan beliefs were founded on the TULIP concept. It is an acronym that stands for: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. There are also other beliefs outside of TULIP, such as typology, manifest destiny, and backslidingRead MorePuritans, Quakers, And Witchcraft1416 Words   |  6 PagesFaith LePage HIS 201-112 Professor Newsum 10 November 2014 Puritans, Quakers, and Witchcraft Seventeenth and eighteenth century Puritans arrived in the new world; their morality structured the disciplinary actions toward Quakers, those who were considered witches, and Puritans alike throughout the Massachusetts Bay colony. Puritans Structure and new world have three significant events and one leading man. Puritans on the Mayflower traveling to the Massachusetts Bay colony were led by John WinthropRead MorePuritans And The New England1248 Words   |  5 Pagesseverely persecuted. Puritans were forced to go to the Anglican Church where they were also pushed into associating with those that were predestined for Hell. The Puritans wished to purify the Church of England in a way that allowed them to not only practice their religion, but to do so in a different location than the Hell-bound. In 1620, the Puritans left England and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where they were free to practice Puritanism. The ideas and values held by the Puritans influenced theRead MorePuritans and the Scarlet Letter739 Words   |  3 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne was not a Puritan, but he had deep bonds back to this religion, and had ancestors that were in charge of the Salem Witch Trials, a fact that Hawthorne always fel t remorse for. In choosing this time period as the setting for The Scarlet Letter, a classic story of love, betrayal and religion, he showcased both the weakness and strengths of this time period and religion. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans were from England, and were dissatisfied with the church reform of England. SoRead MorePuritan Society Essay2110 Words   |  9 PagesPuritan Society It is difficult to draw parallels between the staunch beliefs of Puritan society in colonial America and the freedom experienced in the country today. The Puritans lived strict lives based on a literal interpretation in the Bible, and constantly emphasized a fear of God and a fear of sin. Modern society looks at this negative view of humanity as a whole as an out-dated opinion from the past, believing that, Now people know better than that. However, faults in human nature