Ancient Tiahuanacun civilization Essay Example for Free

Ancient Tiahuanacun civilization Essay Aymaras were believed to be descendants from the ancient Tiahuanacun civilization appeared from the Lake Titicaca. The Indians had their own culture; from the way they dressed and the language that they used, although, today, many had been speaking Spanish. Aymaras were roughly two million in population and extended their number in southern Peru and in the area where their ancestors first came. Most of the Aymaras lived in the highlands of Altipano, adjusting their clothing to match the coldness of the weather. Although they were tribes, they played a role in the community by exporting their products to the cities and to the world. There were problems in this process because the government implied that the ethnics are uncivilized. The government had to cut the linkages of the group to the city, thereby, causing the Aymaras to form syndicates. Like the Aymaras, the Dominican blacks, also, are suffering from racial discrimination. They were from Africa and were send overseas to Dominican Republic to improve labor force during the revolt of the locals. After the revolution of slaves, came the Dominican blacks. The Dominican blacks were despised for they had come from the slaves and by that sense, their purpose was only to serve. They were disposed from their positions and are discriminated from the world. Some had been condemned to death. But the Blacks fought. They had submitted laws to end the racial discrimination and they excelled and succeeded to their fields as musicians, artists, professionals, and leaders. Blacks are more of common people than the Aymaras. Blacks have become civilized through time and become part of the population. They contributed to the country in many ways. The Aymaras, however, since they are an ethnic group, they were more on life of farmers and shepherds. The Dominican Blacks have lesser obstacles to meet to social acceptance and progress since the Blacks had been ending the conflict of discrimination. Many Black leaders are pursuing this goal of equality. They show to the world that they are as efficient and clever as their oppressor. They compete and succeed in many times. Artists and players are showing to the world the Black People, and it adds up to the publicity of the Blacks. Nationality and individuality greatly affect the life of a person. Caste system or class system is the basis of all the racial discriminations today. They had given importance to the colors and ethnic groups that wounded the people today, in the case of the Dominican Black and the Aymaras. In the anthology, actions of Negroes to end discrimination are rife. Evidence is that the Dominicans hated the Blacks. They had given them names and mocked them. There are many times Aymaras are implied as animals roaming around the city. They are being forced to leave and forced to go home. Movements are formed. It is clear that these movements to end the racial discrimination were going on since the oppressors created the class system. United States of America is a society that is lead by whites. They also despise the Blacks. They discriminate them in their societies. The Blacks are forced out the community. They are literally mocked. Black students are cast away from other whites. Their children are not allowed to play with the Whites. Some petitions of the Black leaders are not accepted by the congress. Their grievances are not heard and are considered not important for they are Blacks. They are always considered as criminals and robbers. Some are shot accidentally by police claiming that they had been robbing the store. Some Black professionals are not paid equally. Unequal treatment is always their distress. In a society where people are colonized, many are oppressed by force. If not, for discrimination and other forms. Colonization and racism goes hand in hand. This is the result of enslavement of Africans, Blacks, and Aymaras. Poverty in the Latin countries adds up to the enslavement of economy. Literacy and education are precarious leading to migration to other countries such as the United States and Spain. These countries oppress these immigrants. The oppressors make them feel incompatible to their society of pure bloods thus, separate them out of the neighborhood. They do not give them enough rights to live freely and to advance their lifestyle. The society themselves are the source of the frequent racial discrimination. There still exists a class around the Latin that is the source of faction for the country and the economy. People are enslaved by their sense that the other groups are incompetent, insignificant, and dull. The unity of the country is greatly affected by the people of colors and pure bloods. Two ideals contrast that leads to civil wars. The government, however, is getting there. The laws which applied to the people are for the end of oppression and discrimination. This is a total revision of rights of people. But the history behind the slavery and discrimination remains as they progress. There is always the case where Blacks are mocked as slaves. Colonization must stop in these countries. People will continue to suffer these oppressions.

Construction Methodology Of Laying A Sewerage Pipes

Construction Methodology Of Laying A Sewerage Pipes Briefly explain with the aid of diagramme, the construction methodology of laying a sewerage pipes and describe the reasons of different bedding type for vitrified clay (rigid) pipes and ABS (flexible) pipes. Above: pipes should be laid with fall. Side: excavation of trench. Below: workers are placing the pipes in the trench. The first thing to construct drains is a ground plan of the site, showing the location of the whole of the sanitary appliances from which the wastewater to the position of the sewer. There are two methods of laying the pipes, first is by using the boning-rod and sight-rails. But the common way of working is by using an ordinary spirit level and a straight-edge. The construction methodology of laying sewerage pipes is first, the pipes should be laid in a straight line from point to point with a fall meaning at predetermined angle and a predetermined depth. Two feet must then be added for every fall. Next, excavation of trench need to be construct using an excavator so that working space and bedding around the pipes are allowed. Trench that are more than 1200mm depth must be properly shored up. The trench should be dug out from the site so that the pipes can be laid with a fall and the main tapped straight out from the building and should be at least 15 feet long so that a full length of pipe can be laid in the trench. The first pipe that needs to be laid first is the pipe from the curb to the main. The pipes must be placed between the curb and the main before the water is turned on. If there are any leaks, the pipes need to be repaired. Pipes should not be covered p until they are tested and approved for water-tightness. Beams are installed between the intervals to avoid landslide occurring at both sides of the trench excavation and to protect the underground pipes. In refilling the trench, sand or fine gravel should be placed in first and compactly around the pipe without disturbing the joint. Then, the trench will covered with good ashes or gravel. When the trench is refilled, concreting should be done and carried up minimum of half the height of the pipes, so that these may be securely bedded in it and also at least 6 inches thick all around. On the left: Bedding detail for rigid pipes (Clayware) Class B bedding On the right: Bedding detail for flexible pipes (Plastic) There are two types of bedding pipes that are for vitrified clay (rigid) pipes and ABS (flexible) pipes. The function of bedding is to cover the pipes from soil, large stones or other materials. Rigid pipe materials include clayware, concrete and cast iron while flexible pipe materials include plastics comprise those manufactured from PVC, polyethylene and polypropylene. The performance of each polymer is different depend on the pipe stiffness and the creep ratio. These different beddings require varying degrees of support to the pipe and the compaction of the material. It also depends on the type of pipe for permanent protection against mechanical damage. The bedding factor is the ratio of the failure load in a crushing machine. List down with explanation the contractor task in landscaping contract. In landscaping contract, a contractor has to performed many task in order to fulfill the costumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s satisfaction. Their job is to design, plant, develop and maintain a clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s landscaped area and their job range can be from local businesses to big urban companies. Some of the contractors work with residential clients in designing the gardens and parks on residential land while others work with governments and businesses to maintain current grassed areas and develop new areas. Design of landscape First, the contractor will have to find and meet up with the client. During the meeting they will discuss what type of garden that the client wants by discussing and sharing ideas of trees, flowers and also types of grass that would be suitable for the area. Some contractors will use computer-generated models, pictures and landscape blueprints to help the customers to examine and choose according to their desire. But the most important things during the meeting up with the client is to help the client easily understand on what type of plants that are suitable and are appropriate for the area and what type of plants that they should be avoided or not suitable to plant for the area. This is because sometimes the clients have unrealistic and impossible desires for certain plants that usually will not grow in that particular area, so it is responsible for the contractor to consult the clients and solve these issues. When the final plans of the landscape had been achieved by agreement fro m the contractor and client, the contractor then will start their construction work by coordinating the purchase of the plants as well as oversees the work. Construction of landscape After the designing of landscape has been done, the contractor will start purchasing the required plants for the growing area. They will be contracting with lots of suppliers and outside vendors to make sure that the project run smoothly and stay on schedule. Then, the contractors will transport the required plants from nursery to the site. The conditions of the plants need to be check and analyse during the delivering of the plants. Contractors also have to find suitable area placement for storing the soil fertilizers, plants and drainage material that will be used in the future. Before the installation of the specific plants, the planting area needs to be check for any discrepancies by removing any unwanted plants that cover the area. The construction of the area and gardens will be constructing by the contractors that will install the plants and tender the flowers, shrubs, trees, foliage and turf according to the requirement. When the installation of plants is finished, the new plants need to be take care by watering and tending the plants for a certain amount of time. The plants need enough of water in order to adapt to the new environment. The contractors also have to build retaining walls to prevent land slide, provide paved area and installed the irrigation systems which can control the spread out of water in the area so that it is even. By installing an irrigation system, all of the plants and trees will get enough of water. If the clients asked to install the fountains, rockery and the water features such as sprinklers in their garden, the contractors will then installed the water features. In aspects of indoor job, the hiring, supervising, training and firing of workers are also being done by the contractors including the leave for the workers. They also have to contact with the clients for invoicing and collecting fees for the landscaping job. Repair and remediation of landscape Usually the repairing and restoring the landscape that has been affected by the local conditions and subsidence or that requires new management due to neglect in taking care of the previous landscape is all done by the contractors. The contractors will be responsible for all renovation and remediation processes including the digging up existing plants, trees and flowers and re-installing back all the landscape materials with a new one. They also have to build up new additions to the landscape area to make an interesting view of landscape and installing new and fresh soil that contain high minerals to replace the old existing soil. Maintenance of landscape To maintain a landscape contractors use the same sorts of skill and tasks like remediation and repair. Contractors have to do lots of job such as terracing, turfing the area, prune trees, garden maintenance, lawn mowing, remove weeds, waste removal, maintaining sprinkler, concreting, maintaining flowers and dealing with any damage from disturbances such as flood and storms. Certain contractors had to remove hazards depend on their contracts. To maintain a landscape, the contractors usually construct a drainage system, construct landscape features such as garden beds and hardscape such as patios, walkways, driveways and pool decks to maintain the area. On top of that, contractors also have to set up the lighting for the external area which the lighting can provide a safe especially at night and be the source of light for outdoor areas. Maintaining the landscape is one part of work that needs to be performed by the contractors. Briefly explain three (3) influencing factors for road design. The three factors that most influenced the road design are the strength of sub-grade beneath the road, maintenance cost of the road and the numbers of traffics that uses the road. Strength of sub-grade The design of a road is influenced by the sub-grade support that is depending on the soil type, material density, temperature and moisture content. Sub-grade is the natural occurring ground at formation level which its homogeneity is important. Before a sub-grade is prepared, it is important to avoid hard and soft spots in sub-grade. When the sub-grade is suitable, it then can be compacted. It is important to recognize where the moisture may enter the sub-grade in order to control the moisture movement. This is because moisture tends to affect the sub-grade properties including load bearing capacity, shrinkage and swelling. Drainage, groundwater table and infiltration also can affect the moisture content in sub-grade which will result in excessively under load. The temperature of environment on sub-grade also affects the performance of road. Example: Asphalt becomes stiff and brittle at low temperatures while it is soft at higher temperatures. If the temperature is too high, permanent deformation in asphalt may occur. Sub-grade also must be able to support the loads that been transmitted from the pavement structure. The load bearing capacity is influenced by the degree of compaction, moisture content and type of soil. A good sub-grade is the one that can support a high amount of loading without excessive deformation. The strength of sub-grade also depends on the type of soil. Certain soils can shrink or swell depending on the moisture content. When this happen, soils with excessive fines content may be frost heave. Any road type constructed over the shrinkage, swelling and frost heave will tend to deform and crack. Maintenance cost The second factor that influenced the road design is the maintenance cost of road such as cost of improvements, effects of controlling or limiting right-of-way on abutting residential and commercial properties where channelization restricts vehicular movements. At the end of a certain period, the road will deteriorated to its failure condition which will then have to maintain back to restore its structural integrity and serviceability. The maintenance cost and life cycle cost depends on the type of pavement used. For rigid type of pavement such as concrete, the maintenance cost is low as it is can withstand huge amounts of loads while for flexible type of pavement such as tar macadam, the maintenance cost is high because it needs to resurfacing the layer every five years. But to install the rigid pavements require more labour, more time to harden and more complex compared to flexible pavements. The maintenance of road is necessarily because it can cause road accidents to users. Clean ing and emptying of gully pots, silt traps and manholes, jetting and cleaning sewers, road sweeping, litter removal and road verge landscape management have to consider also as it is under the maintenance cost. The operation and maintenance activities also part of maintenance cost. The inspection and monitoring, post inspection maintenance including litter and removal of debris, unplanned maintenance due to operational problems or pollution incidents must be considered. The labour, the plant and the material used to do the maintenance works must also be calculated. Numbers of traffic The third factor that influenced the road design is the numbers of traffic that used the road. The traffic consideration that must be considered is the design and actual capacities that the road can hold, the design-hour turning movements especially during peak hour or office hour, the size and operating characteristics of vehicle (the load of the vehicle), vehicle speeds, transit involvement and accident experience. If the road used is very frequent, the design of the road must be strong enough to hold large capacities of load. The size of the road also based on the numbers of traffic. If the road is usually used the size of the road have to be bigger to avoid jam. Briefly explain four (4) requirements of joints for cladding system. The four requirements of joints that are important for cladding system are weather resistance and are allowed for structural, thermal and moisture movement, good durability, easily maintained and easily made or assembled. Weather resistance The most important requirement of joint is it needs to resistance to wind pressure, rain and other nature elements such as heat, moisture, sound such as airborne and vandalism. It must sufficiently well to exhibit the persistent resistance to the elements. If we neglect the need for properly sealing the joint, there will be a water leakage in the building. Once the seal has lost its weather-proofing, the building will suffer water penetration into the building and the thermal insulation performance will decrease. Requirement of joints of cladding also must allowed movement of moisture so that the air in the building contains moisture and not too dry. High frequency thermal movement can affect the jointing of cladding system because the building materials can expand and contract due to the changing of temperature and humidity. It is best to use flexible joints in the cladding system where the joints will not be effected when the building materials expand and contract. It will control of the internal environment and the temperatures of the building. Example: Using gasket joints can prevent thermal heat from getting into the building, resistance to environmental attack, prevent fire from spread within the voids and insulate sound against airborne from external of the building and prevent it from transmitting to other parts of the building. Strength, stability and good durability The other requirement of joints for cladding system is strength, stability and durability. Strength of joint means that it able to support its own self weight between the building materials and to the structural frame. It does not require additional support from others. Stability of joint means that it can against and undergoes strong wind pressures and other environmental attack. It also can cater for frame movements which it allows differential movements between the joints, the structural frame and other building elements. The integration between vertical and horizontal frame elements is compatible. Durability of joints for cladding system means that it is maintenance free and has the ability to weather well. Easily maintained The joints for cladding system must be easily maintained so that maintenance workers can easily repaired and maintained the joints if there are defection in the joints. For gasket joint, the maintenance is complex because it uses air pressure to join the cladding and need skill labour to perform the task. Joints on surfaces that require painting need to allow for maintenance of the surface coating. Usually when the installation and repair is relatively simple, the maintenance required is high, requiring frequently treatment depending on the location of the elements to which it is exposed. Easily made or assembled Joints for cladding system must be easily made or assembled so that it can be easily obtained and it is not limited. Meaning the manufacturers easily and constantly produced the jointing and easily obtained in the market. The installation of the jointing also must simple so that the workers can easily install and can minimise the construction time. Example: Filled joint is the simplest of jointing compared to drained joint. Unlike gasket joint, it is more complex to install because it has difficulty in ensuring dimensional accuracy and control during manufacture and installation.

My Educational Philosophy Essay example -- Philosophy of Education Tea

My Educational Philosophy A question that I have heard from several people in my life ever since the school year started is, "Why do you want to be a teacher?" Originally, I thought I just wanted the summers off. The truth of the matter is, I just want to make a difference in the lives of students. I have had teachers in my life that have pushed me way beyond even my own expectations of myself, and have had a very big influence in my life. I have also had the teachers that just accepted mediocrity, that didn't push the envelope, and those teachers I can honestly say I did not learn anything from. It was one of the influential teachers that prompted my decision to enter the teaching profession. I was in a completely different program of study, heading towards a totally different goal, until one day he looked at me and said, "What are you doing? This isn't you. You have potential to do so much more, and you'll never reach it doing what you are doing." It was this statement that made me sit back and realiz e that something needed to change. It was that something that led me to the Teacher Education Program at Concord. Once I started thinking about the reason that I wanted to be a teacher, I realized how incredibly idealistic it sounded. When we discussed educational philosophies in class, and when we went over the idealist, I thought, "that is definitely the philosophy that is geared towards what I want to be and the environment that I want my classroom to have." My goal as far as what I want when I enter the teaching profession is to be an effective history teacher. I love History, and I believe that my interest in History spurs off of the fact that I had several excellent History teachers in high school tha... ...ld be free to test all their ideas and explore values. He believed that children should participate in determining what their education should be. Schools are public servants. They are there for the children, and if they don't meet the needs of the children, they have failed as a public service institution. Once I graduate from Concord, I hope to pursue a Master's Degree and further my educational prospects. I have no idea what kind of teacher I will be. My ambition of course, is to be the teacher that every student loves and respects. Furthermore, I want to be the teacher that someone will look back at one day and say, "I am part of what I am because I had her for a teacher." Idealistic, yes, but if I don't believe in myself, and my students then I am defeating my whole purpose as an educator, and that is to make a difference in the lives of my students.

Augustus Caesar Essay -- Classics Rome Emperor Essays

Augustus Caesar Works Cited Missing Augustus Caesar, the Rome's first true Emperor was the historical figure who had the greatest impact upon the western world between the dawn of civilization and the end of the middle ages. Augustus Caesar (31B.C. - 14 A.D.) was originally named Gaius Octivian, the name Augustus was granted by the Roman Senate, which means magnificent. The success of Augustus was he developed an honest government, and during his reign, he rebuilt many structures to improve the Roman Empire, which included temples and roads with classical style. He created an efficient postal service that encouraged free trade among the region. The soul power of Augustus had established him to distribute the long standing of Rome. Augustus Caesar did not gain his position easily. He was the adopted heir of Julius Caesar, and he attained his position and held it without meeting with the same fate as his Uncle Julius Caesar. Augustus had to bring the people to his side and win the support of the military in order to gain his trust from the senate. He had raised his own military. Meanwhile, many of the senate was against Mark Antony, who was the right hand man of Julius Caesar and also wanted to become the heir. The leader of the senate, Cicero, realized Augustus was a useful alley, ordered Angustus to make war on Antony and forced him to retreated to Gaul, but Cicero failed to do so (Scarre, 17). Because during 43B.C. "Augustus marched on Rome with his army, and compelled the senate to to accept him as a consul" (Scarre, 17). Later on, Augustus met Antony and Lepidus and the three of them started to form a triumvirate, which excluded the senate power. They divided three parts of the Roman Empire. Antony took the east, Augustus took the west, and Lepidus away to Africa, since he was no long an equal partner (Scarre, 17). Augustus started to gain some reputation in the west; meanwhile Antony had left and conquered Egypt in order to gain his popularity. Unfortunately he married the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, which was a disgraceful to Rome. Augustus raised an army of his own to fight Antony. The battle took place in Actium, and Augustus won the battle. In addition, Egypt was also conquered by Augustus and it became a new territory of Rome. "Augustus's overall policy was to keep the military establishment at the minimum ne... ... had brought people a better living. Augustus developed a very efficient postal service before the end of his reign, which gave the Romans the advantage to trade freely with other provinces. But the postal system was only used for imperial use and not for public use. He create the postal services by choosing a "Commissioner of the Roads near Rome", and their duty was to discharge to the assigned leader for each trunk road, and "carried out by couriers stationed along the main roads, which the couriers would answer questions relating to the dispatches that he carried, performed the whole journey, with changes of horses, in the same carriage" (Homles, 35). Even though, the postal systems were only for imperial use, the letters that they wrote were indebted. Augustus Caesar was a sole ruler during his reign; he stayed in power for almost half a century. He worked for the past and the future consciously, brought peace and prosperity to the people in the past and also in the future. Augustus succession was to control Rome in a wise way, without affecting the senate. After he died at the age of seventy-five, the people of the Roman Empire worshipped him as a god.

Read and Respond to: Amy Tan’s Mother Tongue Essay

Amy Tan is a passionate writer of books such as â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† and other published works. Now that we have read her text read her text â€Å"Mother Tongue†, we learn new things about her as a writer. In my first response to Amy Tan’s passage I described her as a self-motivated author as I read what motivated her to write. She introduced readers to her mother, a woman who enjoys reading Forbes and listening to the Wall Street Journal talks. This gave us as readers a clue that Amy’s mother was used to reading more advanced pieces. Amy tan tells us about her mother’s English and how it sounded â€Å"broken† or as if something was â€Å"missing† every time she talked. While at the same time, her mother’s way of speaking English sounded natural and real to Amy, and I think this could be a reason she chose â€Å"Mother Tongue† as her title. While Amy described herself as a rebel by nature, she pursued her passion to become a great write for herself, and for her mother, while disproving all negative assumptions about her. A good example of this when she started writing fiction. She mentions in her article that most sentences although grammatically correct, had an in-authentic sound to her and unnatural. In other words she was probably writing something â€Å"mother wouldn’t approve†. I go back to when Amy Tan mentions that she enjoyed disproving assumptions made about her while she was starting out. She was told that her English was not good enough to be a writer and still pursued her goal and worked hard to become a great writer. She gives off a sense of pride and accomplishment when she writes that about how she knew she had succeeded as a writer when her mother finished reading her book and said to Amy, â€Å"so easy to read†. Mother Approved. As a personal opinion, I think most people are not like Amy Tan. In the sense of us sometimes not being passionate enough to truly follow what we want and work towards it regardless of what other may have to say. There are many influences out there and must learn to only pay attention to those that will help us get closer to our goal and ignore the rest. As a good friend of mine once told me; It’s not that don’t care about certain people, it’s just that at this very moment where our goals are constantly in our minds, we need to focus and let go and only stick to what will help us accomplish our goals.

Americans win the War of Independence Essay

Before the first shots were fired in the American War of Independence, very few people gave the Americans (also known as the ‘colonists’ or ‘patriots’) a chance. Britain had a population of 11 million compared to the patriots 2.5 million of whom 20% were slaves. Furthermore Britain had the most powerful navy in the world, an experienced and well-armed standing army of 48,000 men and the support of tens of thousands of loyalists and Indian tribes. Britain also held the economic advantage as they could rely on the profits from the South Atlantic system and the industrial revolution. So at the beginning of the war, an American victory seemed distinctly unlikely for American forces weak and British military and naval power enormous by comparison.[i] Foreign aid obtained by the colonists was extremely important in their victory. In 1776 France extended a secret loan to the colonies and supplied them with gunpowder. These loans of gunpowder were extremely important in enabling the patriots to defeat Britain in the Battle of Saratoga. In February 1778 France and America signed The Treaty of Alliance that stated once France entered the war against Britain, there would be no more treaties before the colonists gained liberty, sovereignty and independence.[ii] The treaty also opened both nations ports to the others commerce and guaranteed French possessions in the New World. Therefore this alliance was very important as it brought optimism and boosted the morale of the patriots. As one soldier from Pennsylvania said, â€Å"There has been a great change in this state since the news from France†. France gave money, supplies and in the last phase of the war, military force. France supplied most of the muskets, bayonets and canons used by the colonists and without French aid it is debatable if they could have won the war. For example at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, 20 French war ships prevented Cornwallis’ escape and led to the surrender of the British force and the end of the war. Furthermore France’s participation in the war and Vergennes’ (French foreign  minister) influence was a big factor in persuading other countries to join the American war effort. In 1779 and 1780, both Spain and Holland respectively entered against Great Britain and soon after Catherine of Russia organised the League of Armed Neutrality which when threatened by Britain in the early 1780’s, responded by deterring British trade. So foreign aid was a very important factor in America’s victory as it is probable that they did not have the power to defeat the British on their own. The logistics of the war was a second major reason for the American’s victory. Britain encountered many logistical problems in the war which all contributed in some way to its defeat. Howe thought that driving the American army from the battlefield in any area would return that area to loyalty to the crown or at least neutrality. However this was not the case. Britain was only able to control areas that the military occupied so therefore when the army moved it had to abandon the area it previously occupied. As a result when a British force was defeated its only hope was to retreat to a fortified port and so if the navy was not there with its usual overwhelming power, the army would be in serious trouble, as exemplified with the Battle of Yorktown. Another logistical problem was that the British army could not expect supplies from any area it did not occupy and also the areas Britain did occupy were too small to provision the British army.[iii] Therefore they had to be dependent on supplies from Britain but even this was often a major problem as the obtaining of these supplies was held up administratively. The British Treasury and Admiralty did not co-operate with each other to make provisioning efficient or effective. For example in 1776 Admiralty agents insisted that army suppliers be licensed and applications accompanied by exact cargo manifests. Therefore, as ships were loaded at Cork and applications made in London, voyages could be delayed for weeks and sometimes months and as a result hampered the British war effort. Britain also suffered a number of transport problems that further complicated proceedings. In October and November 1775, 36 supply ships loaded with  hundreds of tons of food and supplies left Britain to make sure the 11,000 soldiers, sailors and marines in Boston would have a comfortable winter. However the ships witnessed some of the worst storms of the century and many sunk, were captured or fled towards the West Indies. In the end only 13 supply ships reached Boston by which time most of the food had gone bad.[iv] So therefore transport problems are another logistical problem that contributed to Britain’s defeat. Food that did reach America created another problem for the British, as there were no good means to store or distribute the food. Therefore the food often sat on the ships holding them up when they could have been used for battle or getting more supplies. Logistical problems also hit the British army directly as they could only operate freely as long as the supplies they could carry lasted. Therefore they had to move as soon as they ran out of supplies, even if it was not militarily expedient. So as the army was always moving it could not force an American army to battle, which created a big advantage for the colonists as they could decide when to fight.[v] So overall Britain had to deal with many distribution and communication problems and despite having more supplies than the enemy, because of the above problems this proved to be no advantage. A third major reason for the patriot’s victory revolved around the military strategy of both sides. On three notable occasions Britain made terrible mistakes in battle that contributed massively to their overall defeat. At the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, Britain went against all accepted military practice by attacking American forces on Breeds Hill, having to go up a steep and grassy hill in the open carrying sixty pound packs whilst the colonists were under cover. Of three British attacks, the colonists won two and Britain suffered a 50% loss of soldiers and didn’t make another offensive for fourteen months. On top of this, the battle seriously strengthened American morale and gave Washington over a year to build an army and prepare for the next battle. [vi] At the Battle of Long Island in 1776 Britain made a massive strategic error of not exploiting their success. The British army had marched unexpected straight into the rear of the colonists and quickly forced a retreat. Britain had thousands of fresh troops available and had the momentum but allowed the colonists to escape from Brooklyn to Manhattan by boat. Therefore Britain lost their best chance of destroying the Continental army, capturing Washington and winning the war.[vii] The final major military mistake by Britain was in 1777 when General Howe’s plan to attack Philadelphia instead of going to Albany to help Burgoyne backfired when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia. Therefore Burgoyne had to send further supplies and troops to support Howe instead of using them on his way to Albany. Howe underestimated the colonist’s ability to evade the British and made a massive mistake because Burgoyne needed those troops, supplies and Howe’s help at the Battle of Saratoga. In complete contrast, the colonists displayed some excellent tactics and strategies at vital times that proved extremely important in their victory in the war. During the collective battles known as the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, at Fort Stanwix Britain were at first in control. However the patriots sent Hon Yost Schuyler to the fort and he promoted a superstition that caused the Indians to desert the fort and as a result caused the British to retreat to Oswego and abandon their siege. Therefore the great tactics at Fort Stanwix proved vital as the British were previously in a great position in the battle. At Bennington, the patriots played another great trick sending men disguised as loyalists to mingle with British troops. They went to the rear of the British army and when the patriots attacked they turned against the British. So again the great tactics shown by the Americans provided a massive victory and the British suffered huge casualties and loss of supplies that proved significant in the war. A final example of the great tactics used by the patriots was at Freemans  Farm, when American riflemen forced a retreat in the first British assault after shooting from the tops of trees and then in the second assault caused huge losses to Burgoynes army after being situated on a low hill.[viii] This battle carried extra significance as the victory brought an American alliance with France, which as explained before was crucial in the outcome of the war. However, whilst discussing military strategy it is also important to acknowledge the role played by the terrain as a factor for America’s victory. Britain found it difficult to cope with the many rivers and poor roads that they encountered and there were no large open fields where the cavalry could manoeuvre. It was rare to see Britain using whole regiments and disciplined fire across open ground. The territory thus prevented Britain from moving rapidly to surround rebels and from making the most of their superior discipline in formal lines of battle. So therefore Americans benefited from their own familiar terrain. As they did not have the fire discipline or military expertise and skills to fight formal battles, it was suited to their guerrilla warfare type battle techniques. Washington was also crucial to the shape and outcome of the war. By 1777 Washington had fought Howe five times and lost every one, however Washington never lost his army.[ix] He was a big stabilising force and from his militia experience, was excellent at managing an army and keeping it together. As a Southerner, Washington was also vital in bringing southern support into a war that originally was being fought mainly by New Englanders. However most importantly Washington’s tactics on two notable occasions were massive factors in the outcome of the war. First in 1776 at the Battle of Long Island, whilst in serious trouble, Washington enabled an escape for the colonists from Brooklyn to Manhattan by boat. In doing this, Washington prevented Britain’s best chance of winning the war. Secondly in Virginia in October 1781, Washington was influential in leading five thousand French and two thousand American troops across Pennsylvania into Virginia. Washington moved them so fast that Britain didn’t even know  of the Yorktown attack until it was too late. This piece of military mastermind by Washington soon led to a British surrender and subsequently signalled the end of the war. The fourth and possibly final major reason for the American’s victory revolved around the contrasting motivation and passion of the two sides. The patriots were always willing to continue fighting because they had a strong desire to win their independence and loved their homeland. On the other hand British soldiers were not fighting for a cause that directly affected them as they were in a country almost three thousand miles from home. Therefore as the war continued patriot fervour increased whereas British morale went down. In the colonies, the desire to fight the British was never in question. Before the outbreak of war Thomas Paine’s pamphlet ‘Common Sense’ was able to sway public sentiment in favour of complete independence and against King George’s tyranny. During the revolution Paine continued to stir up enthusiasm and patriotism in America with ‘The Crisis’ with comments such as, â€Å"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph†.[x] Therefore ‘The Crisis’ affected soldiers and civilians in all levels of society, increasing morale, confidence and belief. Paine marched with troops, understood them and kept them fighting under horrible circumstances. Thus, Paine played an important role in the patriot’s victory. Propaganda also played a big role in influencing public opinion. Anti-British cartoons were popular throughout the colonies and influenced the public. The inhumane treatment of American prisoners was a main topic of propaganda and there were many newspapers detailing atrocities by the British; for example, the fact that more prisoners of war died than were killed in action. Therefore the use of propaganda was very influential and turned many loyalists against the British. So overall in conclusion, I have identified four major reasons why the Americans won the War of Independence. Foreign aid from France was vital through their money, supplies and military force. France also helped bring Spain and Holland into the war and without them the colonists would have found it difficult to win. Secondly, Britain suffered many logistical problems including the obtaining and distributing of supplies and also communication problems. With regards to military strategy, Britain made a number of strategic errors and struggled to come to terms with the difficult terrain, whereas the colonists under the influential command of Washington made some excellent tactical decisions in battle. Finally the Americans displayed great motivation and passion to secure victory and independence and never lost their desire to fight. In contrast British soldiers were not directly affected whatever the result of war and this proved crucial. ——————————————————————————– [i] Bonwick, Colin. The American Revolution (Macmillan, 1991) 86 [ii] Henretta, James. America: A Concise History (St. Martin’s, 1999) 147 [iii] Bowler, Arthur. Logistics and the Failure of the British Army in America: 1775-1783 (Princeton, 1975) 239 [iv] Perret, Geoffrey. A Country Made by War (Vintage Books, 1990) 20 [v] Heller, Charles. America’s First Battles: 1776-1965 (Lawrence, 1986) 24 [vi] Perret, 15 [vii] Heller, 31 [viii] Perret, 42 [ix] Leckie, Robert. The Wars of America (Harper & Row, 1981) 179 [x] Perret, 34 Bibliography Bailyn, Bernard. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Harvard College, 1967 Bonwick, Colin. The American Revolution. Macmillan, 1991 Bowler, Arthur. Logistics and the Failure of the British Army in America: 1775-1783. Princeton, 1975 Conway, Stephen. The War of American Independence 1775-1783. Arnold, 1995 Heller, Charles. America’s First Battles 1776-1965. Lawrence, 1986 Henretta, James. America: A Concise History. St. Martin’s, 1999 Leckie, Robert. The Wars of America. Harper & Row, 1981 Perret, Geoffrey. A Country Made by War. Vintage Books, 1990

African Kingdoms and Empires

African Kingdoms and Empires During 400 AD, West Africa witnessed the rise and fall of the indigenous medieval empires of ancient Ghana, medieval Mali, and Songhai. Many other states and kingdoms arose during this time but Ghana, Mali and Songhai achieved the status of fully-fledged, functioning and long-living conquest states and expansionist empires. These empires regulated the Trans-Saharan trade by offering protection for trade caravans as well as taxing slaves, gold, firearms, textiles and salt.Ghana reached its height by 1200 AD and was ruled by the Serahule people which eventually broke apart by in the 13th century. The Mali Empire was a Mandinka territory but also took on Ghana’s territory and extended into the 13th century. At the peak of the empire, Mali covered an area over 24,000 sq. km. Songhai succeeded Mali in the 14th century and grew to be the largest land empire in tropical Africa. Throughout the presentation I will cover each Empire in grave detail.Ghana may have existed as early as the 5th century, however, by the 8th century it was known as â€Å"The Land of Gold. † In 1068 Ghana was the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful state in West Africa. The empire was situated in the vast Savannah area between the Senegal and Niger Rivers with its authority extending from the frontiers of Futa Toro to the Western banks of the Niger, and from the Mandinka area in the south to beyond the fringes of the desert in the north. Ghanaweb) The Serahule were the founding people of â€Å"The Land of Gold,† who established their capital at Kumbi Saleh, which at that time was the leading trading centre of the Western Sudan and the focus of all trade with a systematic form of taxation. The Serahule formed themselves into a strong trading state which spread its power over many neighboring people and in the process became an empire. With the introduction of the camel during the Trans-Saharan trade, Ghana derived power and wealth from gold an d increased the quality of goods transported.As stated earlier, the Soninke people also sold slaves, salt and copper in exchange for textiles, beads and finished goods. (Ghanaweb) According to Ghanaweb, â€Å"The wealth of ancient Ghana is mythically explained in the tale of bids, the black snake. This snake demanded an annual sacrifice in return for guaranteeing prosperity in the Kingdom, therefore each year a virgin was offered up for sacrifice, until one year, the fiance’ (Mamadou Sarolle) of the intended victim rescued her. Feeling cheated of his sacrifice, Bida took his revenge on the region, a terrible drought took a hold of Ghana and gold mining began to decline.There is evidence found by archaeologists that confirms elements of the story, showing that until the 12th century, sheep cows and even goats were abundant in the region. † Traders took the route from Maghreb to Ghana starting in Tahert, North Africa through Sjilmasa, Southern Morocco. The trail led sout h running parallel with the coast, then south-east through Awsaghust and ending in Kumbi Saleh. Through their travels the traders brought the Islamic community to Kumbi Saleh but the Islam’s managed to remain a separate community a distance away from the King’s palace. Ghanaweb) McKay wrote, â€Å"The city of Ghana consists of two towns lying on a plain, one of which is inhabited by Muslims and is large, possessing twelve mosques- one of which is congregational mosque for Friday prayer; each has its imam, its muezzin and paid reciters of the Quran. The town possesses a large number of jurisconsults and learned me,† (McKay, pg 279) Ghana was originally known as Wagadou (Ouagadou, Aoukar) by its rulers, but was changed into the general use, â€Å"Ghana† because one of the king’s titles â€Å"Ghana† meant war chief. Each succeeding king kept the title Ghana but went by their own name.The kings were in charge of organizing the trade and keeping good relations with the Saharan traders, as well as acting as senior religious leader and representative on earth of the founding ancestors of the Serahule people. To increase the wealth of Ghana, the kings were able to make lesser kings or chiefs obey their laws and pay them taxes. This in turn gave the kings of Ghana more power and could command the services of many descent lines. They were able to raise big armies and employ larger numbers of messengers and other servants. (Ghanaweb)The International trade was causing the empire continuous growth so the Serahule were inventing new methods of governing themselves by raising money to pay for a government and producing wealth. They decided the central authority would need to be a king that would rule over many lesser authorities or governments. Since Serahule had already occupied the lands to the north of the upper waters of Niger, their towns and trading settlements became the middlemen between the Berber and Arab traders of the no rth and the gold and ivory producers of the south. This position made Ghana strong and prosperous and gave its rulers glory and power. Accessgambia) The empire included many arrears of people who were not Serahule and therefore had different religious loyalties to their Gods other than the king. In order to ensure the continued allegiance of the conquered states, the kings of Ghana insisted on the son of each vassal king being sent to their court. Both provincial governors of Serahule areas and tributary rulers of the conquered peoples had the duties of loyalty to the king, provisions of annual tribute, and the contribution of bands of warriors to the imperial army when they were required for active service.In return for their loyalty, the king provided protection against external enemies. However, by 1240 Ghana was no more. There are many reasons for Ghana’s decline and fall, starting with the royal treasury placing a monopoly on the export of gold. The gold industry was the fame of what Ghana rested on because it was the king’s largest source of income. Secondly, the way the empire was organized. At its peak, Ghana was made up of many states and people and lacked political and cultural unity which the kings failed to achieve.The different ethnic groups such as the Soninke, Susu, Serer, Berber and Tuclor each had its own language and cultures owed allegiance to the king. Conquered states such as Futa Toro, Silla and Diara were only expected to pay annual tribute contingents to the kings in times of war but were left to operate under their own traditional rules. Lastly, during the second half of the Eleventh century, the military became weakened and broke up into component parts. Later, there was an invasion by the Berber Almoravid dynasty that conquered Ghana and forced its rulers and people to convert to Islam.McKay stated that â€Å"while Almoravid and Islamic pressures certainly disrupted the empire, weakening it enough for its incorporation into the rising Mali empire, there was no Almoravid military invasion and subsequent forced conversion to Islam. † (McKay, pg 280) The kingdom of Ghana split into several small kingdoms that feuded among themselves. The Mandinka, from the kingdom of Kangaba had been part of the Ghanaian empire and soon dominated the feuding kingdoms.Building on the Ghanaian foundations, Kangaba formed the core of the new empire of Mali and developed into a better organized state than Ghana. There were two rulers for the Mali Empire, Sundiata and Mansa Musa which combined, had military success and creative personalities. Mali had a large agricultural and commercial base that provided for a large population and enormous wealth. (McKay, pg 280) McKay also noted that dating to the early eleventh century, the Mandinka were extremely successful at agriculture.Consistently large harvests throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries provided a supply of food, which helped steady the population gro wth. The Mandinka also acted as middlemen in the gold and salt traffic that flowed north and south during the Ghanaian hegemony. In the thirteenth century, Mandinka traders formed companies and gradually became a major force in the entire West African trade. Sundiata, the founder of Mali, set up his capital at Niani and transformed the city into an important financial and trading center.McKay stated, â€Å"through a series of military victories, Sundiata and his successors absorbed into Mali’s other territories of the former kingdom of Ghana and established hegemony over the trading cities of Gao, Jenne, and Walata. Into the fourteenth century, these expansionist policies were continued by Sundiata’s descendant Mansa Musa. † (McKay pg 280) In the language of the Mandinke, Mansa means â€Å"emperor. † Musa consolidated the foundations laid down by Sundiata and ruled the empire at its greatest height.Musa’s influence extended northward to several Ber ber cities in the Sahara, eastward to the trading cities of Timbuktu and Gao and westward as far as the Atlantic Ocean. He maintained a strict empire and it grew twice the size of the Ghanaian kingdom and contained roughly eight million people which brought Musa Fabulous wealth. (McKay, pg 281) It was the Musa’s pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 that put the empire on the map. He travelled with thousands of porters and servants that carried six-pound staffs of gold and one hundred elephants each bearing one hundred pounds of gold. On his ay to Mecca, Musa stayed in Egypt and spent and gave away so much gold that there was a devaluation of the local currency and it sparked an inflationary crisis in Egypt as well as depressing world prices of the commodity. Twelve years later, al-Omari, one of the sultan’s officials, recounted. â€Å"This man Mansa Musa spread upon Cairo the flood of his generosity: there was no person, officer of the court, or holder of any office of the Sul tanate who did not receive a sum of gold from him. The people of Cairo earned incalculable sums from him, whether by buying and selling or by gifts.So much gold was current in Cairo that it ruined the value of money. † (McKay, pg 281) As a result of Musa’s display of wealth, his fame spread as far as Europ,e where the Catalan map by Abraham Cresques of about 1375 shows Musa seated on a gold throne wearing a gold crown while holding a gold nugget, describing him as â€Å"the riches and most noble king in all the land. † Mansa Musa extended his borders of Mali and set up an effective system of government that had a justice administration that was relatively impartial. The field of diplomacy was able to establish friendly relationships with other African states such as Morocco and Egypt.To help the king in his work, he had judges, scribes, and civil servants that helped to strengthen the administrative machinery of the empire. There were fourteen provinces in Mali t hat were ruled by governors who were typically famous generals. The others such as the Berber province were governed by their own Sheikhs. All of the provinces administrators were responsible to the Mansa and they were all said to be well paid. Under Musa, Timbuktu began as a campsite for desert nomads and grew into a thriving trading post or entrepot, attracting merchants and traders from North Africa and all parts of the Mediterranean world.In the fourteenth century, Timbuktu developed into a center for scholarships and learning for Architects, Astronomers, Poets, Lawyers, Mathematicians, and Theologians. The tradition and reputation for African scholarships lasted until the eighteenth century. (McKay, pg 282) The rise of the Mali Empires was swift but its decline was gradual. In the fifteenth century, Mali lost its ability to dominate the affairs of the Western Sudan because it became a tiny principality of kangaba. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that Mali complet ely lost its political identity as it had broken up into a number of small independent chiefdoms.Between 1337 to 1341 Musa’s son, Maghan I, ruled the Empire. During this period, the Mossi of present day Burkina Faso raided across Manding and devastated Timbuktu. Then the Tuareg of the Sahara conquered the Northern part of the Mali Empire. During the periods of 1360 to 1400 there were as many as six kings and a series of civil wars. During the fifteenth century, the Songhai, under their leader Sunni Ali, conquered Jenne and Timbuktu and replaced Songhai as the most important power in the Western Sudan. Songhai succeeded Mali and became the third great West African empire. (Accessgambia)The Songhai Empire originated in the nineth century as a medieval civilization that was a small principality in West Africa on the banks of the Niger River called Al-kaw kaw. The kingdom had a very fertile area suitable for livestock rearing, agriculture, and fishing. As early as 800 AD, the kin gdom made full use of their resources and divided into two specialized professional groups; the Gabibi who were agriculturists and the Sorko who were fishermen. The Songhai borders extended from the central area of present Nigeria to the Atlantic coast and included parts of what is now Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and Mauritania.The areasof the land being rich and fertile allowed the people of Songhai to attract traders to their kingdom and become very astute traders and merchants themselves. As early at the tenth century the leaders of Al-kaw kaw moved their capital from Kukia to Gao. Gao became the last stop for three major trade routes. The routes included the trans-Saharan route from Egypt into Fezzan, Ghat and Agedez, the Tripoli and Tunis from Ghat and the route from Algeria and Morocco.During this time is when the Arab traders brought the Islamic influences which contributed to shaping the direction of the empire. In the thirteenth century Gao was part o f the Mali Empire and in 1275 Gao managed to break away from Mali. It wasn’t until 1464 when the small kingdom of Gao was transformed into the Songhai Empire and signaled the start of a new royal dynasty. Sources McKay, pgs 280-280 http://www. accessgambia. com/information/african-empires. html http://www. ghanaweb. com/GhanaHomePage/history/