Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Government of the United States essays

The Government of the United States essays The first administration of the United States was led by the first president of the United States, George Washington. The administration had to set a precedent for the next administrations of the United States. The administration faced many problems internally and externally. The administration dealt with many problems such as tax protests and disagreements between internal government officials. If the Washington administration was not successful in dealing with its conflicts than the government of the United States would have collapsed and the union would have broken up. Washington's ability to lead a successful administration is what set a precedent for the future administrations. One problems that Washington's administration had dealt with was conflicts with European nations. Britain and France were on the verge of war. The United States government was just recently created and was weak, so they wanted to remain neutral and not take any sides with France or Britain. The United States favored France for their similar revolution to the American Revolution. On the other hand the United States also favored Britain for commerce. The problems in Europe were minor compared to the problems within the United States that the administration had to compromise and/or solve. An important problem that the United States government faced was conflicts within the Northwest Territory. Native Americans were fighting with American settlers in the Northwest of the United States. The Native Americans were supported by the Canadians in there attacks because the Canadians did not want to be invaded by the Americans later on. This resulted in the defeat of the Americans in a battle between an American militia and the Natives. Washington sent General Wayne to fight the Native Americans. At the Battle of Fallen Timbers, General Wayne defeated the Native Americans. After the Native Americans were defeated they signed the Treaty of Greenville. The...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Formation of the Union of South Africa

The Formation of the Union of South Africa The politicking behind the scenes for the formation of the Union of South Africa allowed the foundations of apartheid to be laid. On May 31,  1910, the Union of South Africa was formed under British dominion. It was exactly eight years after the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging, which had brought the Second Anglo-Boer War to an end.   Color Bans Allowed in New Union of South Africa Constitution Each of the four unified states was allowed to keep its existing franchise qualifications, and Cape Colony was the only one which permitted voting by (property owning) non-whites. While is it argued that Britain hoped that the non-racial franchise contained in the ​Constitution courtesy of the Cape would eventually be extended to the whole of the Union, it is hardly likely that this was truly believed possible. A delegation of white and black liberals traveled to London, under the leadership of the former Cape prime minister William Schreiner, to protest against the color bar enshrined in the new constitution.​ British Want Unified Country Above Other Considerations The British government was far more interested in creating a unified country within its Empire; one which could support and defend itself. A union, rather than a federalized country, was more agreeable to the Afrikaner electorate since it would give the country a greater freedom from Britain. Louis Botha and Jan Christiaan Smuts, both highly influential within the Afrikaner community, were closely involved in the development of the new constitution. It was necessary to have Afrikaner and English working together, especially following the slightly acrimonious end to the war, and the satisfactory compromise had taken the last eight years to reach. Written into the new constitution, however, was a requirement that a two-thirds majority of Parliament would be necessary to make any changes. Protection of Territories from Apartheid The British High Commission Territories of Basutoland (now Lesotho), Bechuanaland (now Botswana), and Swaziland were excluded from the Union precisely because the British government was worried about the status of the indigenous populations under the new constitution. It was hoped that, at some time in the (near) future, the political situation would be right for their incorporation. In fact, the only country which may have been considered for inclusion was Southern Rhodesia, but the Union had become so strong that white Rhodesians quickly rejected the concept. Why Is 1910 Recognized as the Birth of the Union of South Africa? Although not truly independent, most historians, especially those in South Africa, consider May 31, 1910, to be the most appropriate date to be commemorated. South Africas independence within the Commonwealth of Nations was not officially recognized by Britain until the Statute of Westminster in 1931, and it was not until 1961 that South Africa became a truly independent republic. Source: Africa since 1935, Vol VIII of the UNESCO General History of Africa, published by James Currey, 1999, editor Ali Mazrui, p108.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Postmodernism - The War on Terror Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Postmodernism - The War on Terror - Essay Example The paper "Postmodernism - The War on Terror" discusses how media influences on society in the era of postmodernism. The media has presented the Iraq war in a very different way in America, as compared to the way in which it is viewed over the rest of the world. Dissenting opinions offered against the Iraq war were presented sparingly in the media during the initial stages of the war, since it became â€Å"unpatriotic† to discuss the negative aspects of the war. Support for the war has been largely garnered through the kind of images presented in the media, which have capitalized on the fear generated after the 9/11 attacks to capture public support for the war in Iraq. The â€Å"war on terror† has been touted in the media as the war against terrorism and has successfully created a culture of fear in America. It has successfully linked the traumatic events of 9/11 and the terrorist attack on the world trade center with the war in Iraq. The image of a nation at war was a lso responsible for the re-election of President Bush, since a Commander in chief is not changed midstream. The slogan of the war on terror has created an all-pervasive culture of fear, which in turn has intensified the emotions of the public and has made it easier to mobilize support within the United States. Repeated portrayal of images in the media of the crashing of the terrorist airplanes flying into the World Trade Center and the mayhem and destruction that resulted were instrumental in hyping up the fear against terrorists in the minds of public.