A Significant Symbol in U.S. Contemporary History Essay Example for Free

A Significant Symbol in U.S. Contemporary History Essay The statement above is just one of the several famous and affecting quotes from a former president of the United States of America, Dwight David Eisenhower. In this short and concise statement, his general principles, beliefs, and ideologies may be observed. This man with a huge heart for peace and humanity has been perceived by millions of Americans as a tough yet upright and high-profiled symbol of the government over the decades. However, this man who has been looked up to by the whole of America may be discovered to have humble beginnings—brought up from a simple family, he was an average boy who grew up to fulfill great dreams and great aspirations for the United States of America. On the 14th day of October in 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower, of David Eisenhower, a mechanic, and Ida Elizabeth Stover, a religious pacifist, was born (Kelly). As a child, he had to help his family and work with extra effort in order to suffice their everyday necessities. He was brought up in a simple yet very religious environment where people are exposed to real-life plain-living (The Eisenhower Foundation). He was born in Denison, Texas, but they eventually moved to Abilene in Kansas where he spent his early education in humble community schools. During this stage of his life, he was raised to be a fun loving youth who was fascinated with the Western American history and had always dreamed of getting into college and obtaining a degree which was considered an extravagance for families like his during that time (The Eisenhower Foundation). It was in Abilene where he had his early foundations, and it was also the place where he acquired his early values which eventually molded him to what people know him for—a noble and principled individual. Eisenhower joined the U. S. Military at West Point, New York on the 14th day of June in 1911 (â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†). Here, he was made into a principled and trained fighter which helped him to reach the rank of Second Lieutenant on September 1915. This was the start of his career in the military which have been a difficult battle and a rich learning experience as well for the fighter Eisenhower. In his entire military career, he has been blessed with the might of an ultimate warrior and a fair mind of a just leader. He has been part of several historical events such as McArthur’s venture to the Philippine Islands and the First and Second World War (â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†). Eventually, he was able to receive several recognitions due to his selfless and self-sacrificing service for the United States. On the 4th day of November in 1952, he was awarded with the greatest authority an American citizen could ever have; he became the 34th president of the Unites States of America (The Eisenhower Foundation). As it appears, the presidents of the world are given this special privilege of being immortalized through their works and principles. However, people may still question why a person such as Dwight Eisenhower should be remembered when all the other presidents seem to have done the same thing: to serve the country. As Eisenhower ventured in the greatest challenge to rule America, he was faced with serious challenges through the problems and obstacles in the political and economic sectors. The American values and the national security have been put in great risk by the powerful Europe and Asia which vexed the newly appointed president (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). Yet, despite these challenges, he maintained his aim on his strategies and game-plans on how he can win every battle that the country was facing at that time, such as the Cold War which he skillfully handled with utmost determination. In addition, as Eisenhower went through the most difficult and complex challenges as a president, he was able to maintain the balance in the national budget, the credibility of the country’s fiscal responsibility, and the public works that were significant in the lives of his people. He became remarkable in his efforts to establish sturdy innovations to the government as a whole and to his presidency in order to improve not just the country’s infrastructures but also the morale and dignity of the government (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). Eisenhower also had that incomparable heart for his people. He recognized the needs and the grievances of the less fortunate Americans which led him to establish agencies like the Department of Health and the Education and Welfare in 1953, while he also made improvements in the Social Security through increased benefits for millions of Americans (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). These were just some of his simple yet very significant efforts that will forever rest in Americans’ memories as he left them after a long heart ailment on the solemn day of March 28, 1969 uttering his last words, I want to go; God take me. (The Eisenhower Foundation). Among the many presidents that the United States has met, Dwight Eisenhower created a difference as inspired by his upbringing. It provided him enough courage and determination to reach greater heights. It may appear that the function and role of the American president is one of the hardest and most complicated in the world. Yet, to think that Eisenhower was able to go through it while maintaining a spiritual and fair heart is also commendable. A leader who does not allow his power and authority to rule his heart has also been attributed to Eisenhower by the people themselves. This is because while he was a man who was very well exposed to violence and wars, he spoke of peace and freedom from strife. Over his years of service, aside from literally fighting for his nation and helping to winning the wars, he was able to win the trust and confidence of his people through keeping his values and morale in his leadership strategy. Truly, it may be hard to find a perfect leader. Nevertheless, finding a leader like Eisenhower who had a sense of humor and integrity at the same time can also be one in a million chances. Considering the accounts of history which tell stories of Eisenhower as a hero of America, it may appear that he indeed played a significant role in the U. S. contemporary history. A man who led a simple life as a child and grew up to become the person with the highest authority in America but never abused his powers for wealth and personal interest is indeed worthy of remembrance. Indeed, no person must be judged according to his or her roots. Certainly, societal status does not in any way make a discerning factor to tell the worth and value of a person, because if there is any symbol and example who best represents a story of humble roots to the height of glory and honor in America, it would be undeniably someone like former President Dwight Eisenhower of the United States. Works Cited Bancroft, David G. â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower: 34th President (1953-1961). † USA Patriotism. 2002. 24 November 2008 http://www. usa-patriotism. com/quotes/eisenhower. htm. Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Why Memoralize Eisenhower?. 27 August 2008. 24 November 2008 http://www. eisenhowermemorial. org/whymemorializeike. htm. â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†. The Eisenhower Library Information Resources. September 2000. Ibiblio. 24 November 2008 http://www. ibiblio. org/lia/president/EisenhowerLibrary/_General_Materials/DDE_Biography. html. The Eisenhower Foundation. Biography: Dwight David Eisenhower October 14, 1890-March 28, 1969. 05 August 2008. Eisenhower. com. 24 November 2008 http://www. dwightdeisenhower. com/biodde. html. Kelly, Martin. â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower- Thirty-Fourth President of the United States. † About. com: American History. 24 November 2008. http://americanhistory. about. com/od/dwightdeisenhower/p/peisenhower. htm.

Spanish Conquistadors: Heroes Or Murderers :: essays research papers fc

Spanish Conquistadors: Heroes or Murderers "The Indians in the first fatal decades of the white man in America were conquered because they could not conceive what it was that the white man was after, and what manner of man he was." (The Indians of the Americas, p97) This misconception, was that the Indians could not imagine was that the Spanish Conquistadors would come to the Americas and brutally murder men women and children in the name of a god. They could not see how a group of people could follow such a god. The Spanish conquistadors raped the American natives of their naiveness. The Spanish conquistadors took away the Indians right to their way of life and their land. Living in the United States of America, it's hard to imagine a group of people coming into our country, and taking our land. But this event has already happened, almost 500 years ago. The people who dominated the United States before the Spanish invasion roamed among a 2 large continents. Today the Indians are restricted to reserves or â€Å"reservations†. Their land has been taken from them, and little if any was given in return. The people who live among these reservations try to preserve the â€Å"old way of life.† Another thing taken from the Indians of Americas was their way of life. One thing almost all people hold close to their heart is their way of life whatever it may be. The Indians however were persecuted for their beliefs and either killed or converted to the â€Å"Spanish Catholicism† or many other varying ways of life. This conversion did not take place peacefully. Many resisting Indians died for their cause. The Indians of the Americas could no longer hunt and gather food freely. Nor could they farm just for their community. Strong men were taken as slaves either to Hispaà ±ola (Modern Day Haiti), Cuba or taken back to Spain. Such slaves were often worked to death, because of the seemingly endless supply of American Indians. Other Indians were forced to pay tribute to the Spanish by working on farms to feed the invaders when they themselves were barely nourished enough to live. Some American Indians went so far as to commit mass suicides and not to have children, because they knew their fate if they were to go on living or to bring another child into the world only to see him or her worked to death (Collier, 63). Another very important factor in the demise of Native American Indians was disease, the native Americans had no immunity to the European diseases.

Cow and Pig Manures Essay

While cows eat many of the same plants eaten by horses, weed seeds do not survive in a cow’s digestive system. Cattle (along with goats, sheep, deer, and some other animals) are ruminants that have a system of two stomachs to double-digest their food. Cattle manure is often collected as a slurry, does not have bedding materials mixed in with it, and will break down easily. For these reasons, cow manure is better than horse manure in a compost pile. Nitrogen level is lower than that for horse manure. Pig (hog) manure is collected as a slurry. Its high odor level will diminish when it is combined with dry carboniferous materials. Its nitrogen and other nutrient levels are similar to cow manure. Chicken Manure Chicken manure has long been a favorite of gardeners. Its high nitrogen content makes it ideal to â€Å"fire up† a compost pile that has a lot of carbon, but it also means that it should not be added to the soil directly around plants—it may burn the roots. The strong ammonia smell of chicken manure almost disappears when it is mixed with carboniferous materials such as dead leaves. As a general rule, it is best to compost chicken manure rather than add it directly to the soil. Read more: The Best Manure for Compost | Garden Guides http://www.gardenguides.com/87499-manure-compost.html#ixzz29JgQHQSP Materials and methods Location, soil and climate The experiment was conducted in the experimental farm of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This area is in Southeastern Vietnam, and has a tropical monsoonal climate, with a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The characteristic of the soil is sandy. The average temperature is 28 °C with high humidity. The duration of this study was 120 days, from February to May, 2011. Treatments and experimental design The experiment was a completely randomized design (CRD), with 5 treatments and 3 replicates. Each replicate in the experimental field was a plot with about 110 plants grown on the surface of 4.5m2 (1.5m Ãâ€" 3m) and 20 cm high (Figure 1). The treatments were: †¢ Chicken manure (CM): 68g total Nitrogen from chicken manure †¢ Cow manure (COM): 68g total Nitrogen from cow manure †¢ Pig manure (PM): 68g total Nitrogen from pig manure †¢ Inorganic fertilizer (IO): 68g total Nitrogen from inorganic fertilizer †¢ No manure (NM): No manure is applied when sowing and planting

South African Population Registration Act of 1950

South Africas Population Registration Act No. 30 (commenced on July 7) was passed in 1950 and defined in clear terms who belonged to a particular race. Race was defined by physical appearance and the act required people to be identified and registered from birth as belonging to one of four distinct racial groups: White, Coloured, Bantu (Black African), and Other. It was one of the pillars of Apartheid. When the law was implemented, citizens were issued identity documents and race was reflected by the individuals Identity Number. The Act was typified by humiliating tests which determined race through perceived linguistic and/or physical characteristics. The wording of the Act was imprecise, but it was applied with great enthusiasm: A White person is one who is in appearance obviously white — and not generally accepted as Coloured — or who is generally accepted as White — and is not obviously Non-White, provided that a person shall not be classified as a White person if one of his natural parents has been classified as a Coloured person or a Bantu... A Bantu is a person who is, or is generally accepted as, a member of any aboriginal race or tribe of Africa... A Coloured is a person who is not a White person or a Bantu... Racial Test The following elements were used for determining the Coloureds from the Whites: Skin colorFacial featuresCharacteristics of the persons hair on their headCharacteristics of the persons other hairHome language and the knowledge of AfrikaansThe area where the person livesThe persons friendsEating and drinking habitsEmploymentSocioeconomic status The Pencil Test If the authorities doubted the color of someones skin, they would use a pencil in hair test. A pencil was pushed in the hair, and if it remained in place without dropping, the hair was designated as frizzy hair and the person would then be classified as colored. If the pencil dropped out of the hair, the person would be deemed white. Incorrect Determination Many decisions were wrong, and families wound up being split and/or evicted for living in the wrong area. Hundreds of colored families were reclassified as white and in a handful of instances, Afrikaners were designated as colored.  In addition, some Afrikaner parents abandoned children with frizzy hair or children with dark skin who were considered outcasts. Other Apartheid Laws The Population Registration Act No. 30 worked in conjunction with other laws passed under the apartheid system. Under the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949, it was illegal for a white person to marry someone of another race. The Immorality Amendment Act of 1950 made it a crime for a white person to have sex with someone from another race. Repeal of The Population Registration Act The South African Parliament repealed the act on June 17, 1991. However, the racial categories set forth by the act are still ingrained in the culture of South Africa. They also still underlie some of the official policies designed to remedy past economic inequalities. Source War Measures Continuation. Population Registration. South African History Online, June 22, 1950.