Benjamin Franklin free essay sample

A figurative scenario within a cave occurs. In this scenario, a group of people are living in a cave where they have been put in all types of restraints only allowing them to look forward at the wall opposite of the light. The light casts shadows onto the wall. At some point in time, a shadow appears and to some, a voice Is also heard. The shadow Is then rumored to be god. No one In the cave argues this Idea of god because they do not yet know any better, or they have not yet been enlightened. After a while, one person is taken from the cave and is shown god.This person is the enlightened one. They now know that what they believed to be true is actually false. Once placed back into the cave, the enlightened one can no longer see. This person no longer shares ideas with those of the cave. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When the enlightened one attempts to create a paradigm shift by revealing the truth, people get upset and argumentative. The cave scenario Is a phenomenal way to describe the Ideas of enlightenment. The scenario Illustrates that one cannot be enlightened if they refuse to step out of the formalities of their everyday life.To Plato, the concept of enlightenment is belief in a new truth and leaving old thoughts behind. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin includes many ideas of enlightenment from literal to figurative. Franklin was literally enlightened every time he took another step up in his career. Starting out as a printer and a writer, and becoming an Inventor and a politician. Another way he was literally enlightened was his experiment with electricity. Being an Inventor and a philosopher, Franklin made a hypothesis that would usually end in enlightenment. Along with enlightening himself, Benjamin Franklin also managed to enlighten others with his writings. People used to look forward to his almanacs. It was simple enough for Franklin to enlighten because of his level of intelligence. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin may also be linked with a work by Emerson called The American Scholar. This work by Emerson Is a speech about the Importance of nature, books, and work or action. Emerson believes that society Is becoming corrupt and less pure due to media.America is also becoming lazy to the point of no one putting effort into creating their own thoughts. This is called man thinking and Emerson highlights this concept a lot throughout his speech. Benjamin Franklins life can be related to The American Scholar for the obvious reason that Franklin was Indeed a great scholar. A scholar like Franklin is also a great he always had his own brilliant ideas. He was a hard worker, and a hard worker does not base their life off of the ideas of others. Being a transcendentalism, Franklin believed institutions in society were corrupting the purity of a person.Ideas such as this are also mentioned in The American Scholar by Emerson. Emerson ideas were that nature, books, and work were the most important parts of life. Emerson and Franklin only had one difference when it came to work. Emerson was a firm believer that the purpose of working was to gain wisdom, while Franklin believed working only led to wealth. While Emerson, Franklin, and Plato were all different in their ideas, their works can e read and related together in a way that a work can be seen in a new light. The American Scholar can enable a reader to understand how Benjamin Franklin was a hard worker and man that thought for himself. The Allegory of the Cave can also aid a reader in showing what enlightenment is and how Franklin was enlightened through his life while he enlightened others all around the world. Emerson and Plato were very helpful in creating the lens that is used to comprehend and see what The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is really about. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample At 15 Benjamin Franklin brother started The New England Currant the first newspaper in Boston. Even though there were two paper in the city before his paper included articles, opinion pieces written by his friends, advertisements and news of ship schedules. Benjamin Franklin was not allowed to write in his brother paper due to the fact that he was lowly apprentice. Benjamin Franklin began writing letters at night and signing them with the name of a fictional widow, Silence Dogwood. Dogwood was filled with advice and very critical of the world around her, particularly nickering the Issue of how women were treated.If Benjamin Franklin was caught by his brother he would be punish. The letter got a lot of attention and people wanted to know who this mystery person was. After sixteen letters had been posted Ben]amyl Franklin confesses to writing the letter, his brother was upset and Jealous with all attention Benjamin Franklin was getting from his friends. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Benjamin Franklin and his brother found themselves in debate with Bosons powerful Puritan preachers, the Matters. Because smallpox was a deadly disease back in them days, ND the Matters supported inoculation and the Franklins believed inoculation only made people sicker.Most Bostonians people agreed with the Franklins, James made fun of the clergy, during the debate. James was thrown in jail for his views, and Benjamin Franklins was left to run his brother paper. When Benjamin Franklins brother was release from jail he was not pleased with the way his brother was running his paper. Instantly he became violent with Benjamin Franklin which resulted In several beatings and Benjamin running away. Running away In those mimes was Illegal In early America people felt as though runaway didnt have a place in society.Benjamin Franklin didnt care he boarded a boat to New York hoping to find a job as printer. But it didnt work as plan he ended up in Philadelphia where he met his future wife Deborah Read, not knowing seven years later they would married. Benjamin Franklin found work as an apprentice printer he was so good at it the governor of Pennsylvania promised to help start a business for himself if he would travel to London to purchase fonts and printing equipment. He did as so but promise as broken by the governor was forced to spend several months in England doing print work.Benjamin Franklin had been living with Read family before heading to London. Deborah Read started talking marriage, with Benjamin Franklin who was not ready for marriages yet so she married another man Instead which didnt lasted very long. Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia tried out a few odd Jobs but went back as printers helper. Benjamin Franklin was a greater printer than the man he was working for, so he decided to borrowed some money and set himself up in the f Philadelphia notice how passionate he was.Benjamin Franklin was so good at his job the government give him contract and his business blossom. In 1729 Benjamin Franklin bought a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette. Benjamin Franklin printed contributed pieces by using a falsely name and would be the first to print political cartoon. Benjamin Franklin was very busy socially man he started an organized call the Junta and he Joined the Masons. In 1733 Benjamin Franklin publishes Poor Richards Almanacs under another falsely name who portraying to e a poor man who needed to money to take care of disable wife.What made this different from almanacs is Franklins almanac was witty aphorisms and lively writing. Many of the famous phrases associated with Franklin, such as, A penny saved is a penny earned come from Poor Richard. (Association). Benjamin Franklin continued to be great asset to his community he helped launch project to pave, clean and put streets lights up. Benjamin Franklin launched the library company in 1731 during this time books were very limited. So using his resource he pulled together some member o they could help buy book from England. Thus was born the nations first subscription library. (Association) In 1743 Benjamin Franklin helped launch another society called American Philosophical Society first learned society in America. Benjamin Franklin helped formed the Pennsylvania Hospital so better treat their sick. The Library Company, Philosophical Society, and Pennsylvania Hospital are all in existence today. (Association). In 1736 Benjamin Franklin organized Philadelphia Union Fire Company, the first in the city due to how bad the fires can in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin famous saying, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, was actually fire-fighting advice. Association). People who suffered fire damage to their homes often suffered irreversible economic loss. So, in 1752, Franklin helped to found the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance against Loss by Fire. Those with insurance policies were not wiped out financially. The Contributions is still in business today. (Association) . Len sasss and sasss Benjamin Franklin printing business blooms he then started to franchise his printing revere though partnership with other cities. Benjamin Franklin retired from business and started concentrating on science, experiments, and inventions.Franklins printing business was thriving in this sass and sass. He also started setting up franchise printing partnerships in other cities. By 1749 he retired from business and started concentrating on science, experiments, and inventions. Benjamin Franklin was not new to any of this in 1743 he invented a heat efficient stove to help warm house efficiently and to help improve society and he refuse to have a patent take out. Some of Benjamin Franklin other inventions were swims fins, the glass Armenia and bifocals. Benjamin Franklin started to study electricity in the sasss.Benjamin Franklin use a kite as experiment to show the nature of electricity and lightning which brought international fame. We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately. In sasss Benjamin Franklin became involved with politics. During the America Revolution Benjamin Franklin persuade the French to help the Americans that if they didnt help the British would have too much power. The French and British were enemies The French did help Americans by giving those supplies though Benjamin Franklin and his spies. Benjamin Franklin became popular among the French once we won the war. Benjamin Franklin help writ the Constitution of the United States which became the new laws for the new country. Benjamin Franklin was selected to the Second Continental Congress and help draft the Declaration of Independence. Though much of the writing is Thomas Jefferson, much of the contribution is Franklins. (Association) In 1776 Franklin signed the Declaration, and afterward ailed to France as an ambassador to the Court of Louis WI. (Association) In part via Franklins popularity, the government of France signed a Treaty of Alliance with the Americans in 1778. Franklin also helped secure loans and persuade the French they were doing the right thing. Franklin was on hand to sign the Treaty of Paris in 1783, after the Americans had won the Revolution. (Association) Now a man in his late seventies, Franklin returned to America. He became President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention ND signed the Constitution.One of his last public acts was writing an anti-slavery treatise in 1789. (Association) In conclusion Benjamin Franklin was great man of his time and he invented several things that we use to this day. He was great inventor and science teacher he came up with things that we use in today time. Benjamin Franklin came up ways to help solve the Americans problem during the American Revolution. If was not for Benjamin Franklin we would not have won the war if he didnt ask the French for help. Benjamin Franklin signs four of the important that we still use today. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample The Self-made American Benjamin Franklin Intro- set the scene; assertion; thesis The new world of the new colonies during the sasss was a place of discovery and innovation. The English who settled in the Americas were fleeing oppression and tradition and were striving to seek a new open-minded atmosphere to start their new lives. Benjamin Franklin was born unto this world In 1706 while English powers were still in control of the new American colonies. He grew up the youngest son of seventeen siblings to a humble tallow chandler.At the age often, his formal schooling had ended and his new life of self- taught knowledge began. He left Boston and devoted his time to books, becoming his older brothers apprentice In a Philadelphia printing store. By this time outrage against the British control was on an upswing and revolutionary liberal thought was in the air. This atmosphere created a space for innovative and forward thinkers Just like Franklin. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Leaders emerged from the rough not because they climbed the verbally ladder to success but because It was necessary to fill the empty rolls of leadership in the new American society.America was calling for a new wave of forward thinkers and untapped potential in the new worlds best leaders. Benjamin Franklins life story is a testament to this. His inept potential was arguably not uncommon but the situation and life he was apart of facilitated his rise from humble beginnings to one of the most historically significant American dreamers to date. His autobiography gives insight to his life. An important aspect of the American Dream theme in the Autobiography is the rise from impotence to importance, from dependence to independence, from helplessness to power. 0.A. Leo Lemma 351) Though Benjamin Franklin Is the face of American Innovation had he not the support of powerful Individuals and progressiveness of the world in which he lived the innovative American environment would have produced another progressive thinker to fuel the flame of progression through Innovation equally as renowned to his historical stature. (American Environment at the time provided all supplies needed for a man like BE to become a legend. ) (America made BE, BE didnt make America. ) Environment- Ben Franklin was a leader not unorthodox to have untraditional educationLife of the normal 18th century colonist was fraught with an uneven matched of control from Britain such as the Stamp Act and Tea tax that citizens of the new world were in complete support of break in relationship from control of B ritain. Free market systems were heavily encouraged In the U. S. During this time. The general education of the population of this time was minimal. Young Benjamin was brought up by a humble household who had the goal and aspirations of sending their youngest son to Harvard for the goal of going into the ministry.This fell fiat due to finical reasons, UT during this time a formal education was not commonplace. Real higher level education was Just being developed under the new government In the U. S. During the sasss, literacy rates were as high as ever being at 75% of all males and 65% for 1 OFF very uncommon due to modern day rules and regulations but this was definitely not the case in the early sasss. Benjamin Franklin is a great example of the fact that one does not need a formal education to succeed, and also another influential person whom Benjamin Franklin knew during this time also did not have a formal education as Thomas Edison.He ended up being home-schooled primarily and then eventually Joined the railroad at the age of 12, so during this time a formal education was not something that was absolutely necessary. Relationships w/ innovators- flourishing in environment through relationships he was supplied w/ money and power, giving him a sense of worth and importance that allowed him to bring his innovations into fruition. During this time of progression Benjamin Franklin was not alone in his felt of changing traditional thought.Throughout his life he made it a poin t to seek out other individuals of importance and power to allow him to be among men that will create change in traditional thought. Among these men were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Madison who will later be called the forefathers of America. Provided these relationships that Franklin created it gave him the support that was necessary for his innovations to be known (celebrity). He carefully and deliberately became friends with wealthy and powerful people to elevate his social status. Quote) Counterargument- BE as a person- Proportioning self-improvement set him apart from en Americans. Even in todays society he was revered for his scientific studies + forward thinking. He wasnt exceptional Just for his name. Conclusion- People born into poverty, given everything but cant follow through opportunity to shine/ creatively suppressed, not supported be of way of the world is in a dif environment. Restate thesis Throughout Benjamin Franklins life one can see a constant feeling or urge to better himself.He was brought up in a time when there were many new ideas and free-thinking liberties to be had, and Benjamin took full advantage of them. From his mumble beginnings, Franklin created wealth and prosperity for himself. An important aspect of the American Dream theme in the Autobiography is the rise helplessness to power. 0. A. Leo Lemma 351) Americans revere Benjamin Franklin as one of the most prolific minds of the modern age. But he came from a very meager family. He was born the 1 lath son of the family to a chandler and a housewife.He was pushed very much to become a priest and go to Harvard which would prepare him for the ministry, but his mother and father could not financially afford for him to attend. He also had his own skepticism about is faith which clouted his ambitions. He reconsidered and decided at the age of 12 to attend another school for basic reading and writing. Around this time Benjamin showed a great interest in books and he ended being arranged as an apprentice under his brother at a printer. His life was created by these books and printing were Just the beginning. Throughout his childhood he became very much interested in learning new things picking up the violin, the guitar and other instruments. He taught himself German, French, and Latin. Through his work-ethic he advised more and more Franklins young life: Franklin as starting out on his own: Becoming more influential: thinking. The New World was being created as Benjamin grew, and with that, offered many incredible opportunities to him or to anyone who was bold enough to grasp them. Franklin was no ordinary man.Throughout his life he focused all of his efforts on becoming the best person he could be. Growing up the son of a poor chandler and soap maker he committed himself to becoming a wise learned mind, focusing mentally, physically, and philosophically. Granted, through his time and fort described in his autobiography he created many great situations for himself to develop into one of the wisest minds of the modern thought, but he tended to fall into many situations where he seemed to be in the right place at the right time.During this period of progression the leaders of this new world were being brought out to the fore-front, even if they seems not to be deserving of the role. Benjamin Franklin poses the essence of the self-made man. Throughout his autobiography he shows us that it isnt always the position that you were born in that creates who we re, but instead, it is our outright curiosity and work-ethic that helps us travel through life and will potentially/eventually lead us to power/wealth/happiness/life satisfaction.An important aspect of the American dream theme in the Autobiography is the rise from impotence to importance, from dependence to independence, from helplessness to power. 0. A. Leo Lemma) Ben Franklin was not completely unaided in his endeavors. He worked incredibly hard for self- improvement and to better himself, but he Just seemed to continually be in the right place at the right time. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample Through all this you can see how Franklin began his life as a British loyalist, but through Americanization his thoughts evolved only helping create the nation we live in today. Franklin could scarcely restrain the xcitement as he contemplated the future of this prolific New World that would eventually outnumber the Old. (Wood71) Franklin was a true-blue Englishman, he loved Britain and believed that colonists were every bit British subjects. The people all shared common interests and believed that the New Word could only benefit from British control. He wanted to create a union in which all of the colonies and colonists would come together and work with each other. His plan was to create this union and send it to Britain to have them establish a parliament so the colonies could be represented, but he colonial assemblies didnt want anything to do with the union. The colonists didnt want a few people determining the outcome of their lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The colonists themselves, knew better the needs of the colonies for defense than did the distant parliament. (Wood125) Britain saw the increasingly expansion and wealth of the colonies and began to tax them. Franklin only wanted the colonists to be treated equally as to those in the British Empire. When Franklin went to London he Just grew more impressed with the British Government. He had developed an emotional commitment to the Crowns empire. (Wood129) Colonists were wondering if he was ever going to return to America. When Franklin returned to America he lost most of his support. Colonists felt that his commitment to the empire was seriously clouding his political Judgment. (Wood140) Atter the 7-year war Britain placed a stamp act upon hatred towards the empire. he colonists , creating great At first Franklin was all for the stamp act and favored the opinions of the British Empire. The colonists began to blame Franklin for the stamp act and threatened to attack him. His enemies in Pennsylvania accused him not only of framing the Stamp Act but also of profiting from it. (Wood142) He had lost his newspaper business as less people believed in him. Franklin only wanted Britain and the col onies to be considered as a one but he noticed that there was a change in the relationship between Britain and the colonies. Englishmen felt superior then the colonists the term American often conjured up images of unrefined, if not barbarous, persons, degenerate and racially debased. (Wood143) Franklin began to believe that a compromise or even representation in parliament was far and in-between for the colonies. He felt sympathy for the American opposition and made it clear that Parliament had no right to lay a stamp tax on the colonists without proper representation. Franklin began to change his opinion on the imperial control of the British Empire. The Hutchinson letters were published in Massachusetts and it called for an increase in the number of troops to help control the American rebellion. When Franklin published them in England tension grew between the two sides angering the government and by encouraging the colonists in their resistance, (Franklin) did not seem to care anymore. (Wood145) The English government didnt want anything to do with Franklin anymore and thought of him as another unruly colonists. When the extensive conciliation or Chatham proposal was brought to the House of Lords, they rejected it without even giving it a second look. Franklin was outraged that they rejected it in such an abrupt manner that his anger grew for British Empire. Franklin was so irate that he told his American confidants that England had become rotten to the core; in fact, continuation of the union with England might infect America and destroy the glorious public virtue so predominant in our rising 50) Leaving Britain behind Franklin became one of the most patriotic and passionate leaders. When Franklin got back to America the fighting between the colonists and British had already began. He wasnt going to fight in the war or lead an army but he sought after an alliance between France, which would help strengthen the colonies efforts. Franklins political success started in France where he was able to persuade the French government to become allies against the British. This not only strengthened Americas relationship witn France but also witn other European ations. It was said that the connection with Europe was a huge turning point in the war against Britain. Franklin was indispensable to the success of the revolution abroad. (Wood200) Franklin always wanted to be in a position of power where he could shape events on a world stage. He attempted to help change the way Britain went about its business but soon realized that his attempts were pointless. Once he realized that the British Empire was only hurting the colonies he began to show patriotism towards the New World in which he was born. Franklin was not ashamed hat he once favored the British rule but eventually un derstood that there was a better life and a new beginning to be had. Franklins life was much like that of all colonists during this time. They came to the New World with nothing under their name and worked until their dreams were reached. Franklin was Americanized through the many events or lack of events that Britain put upon on the colonies. If the British Empire would have allowed for representation we could have had a totally different scenario. Fortunately we were able to create our own country in which Franklin had one of the most important roles. Biographies of great men help us understand how they become so great. We can learn so much about the colonists separation from the British Empire by Just looking at Franklins life. His life story is so inspirational, coming from a very poor family and creating a very prosperous and successful life should be everyones dream. We can look up to great individuals like Franklin and aspire to be like him. Woods didnt want to Just name historical facts and the surrounding events of Franklins life but wanted to examine him as an individual. He wanted to see how the events Americanized the most influential founding father. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample One can only speculate as to the thoughts running through Benjamin Franklins mind as he pondered the awe and power of lightning during some long ago summer storm. Franklin suspected that lightning was an electrical current in nature, rather than the wrath of God, and he wanted to see if he was right. One way to test his idea would be to see if the lightning would pass through metal. He came upon the idea to use a metal key and looked around for a way to get the key up near the lightning.As you probably already know, he used a simple toy, a kite, to prove that lightning Is really a stream of electrified air, known today as plasma. No direct account of this event was ever written by Franklin, however, the manuscript of Joseph Freely documents the events as follows: As every circumstance relating to so capital a discovery (the greatest, perhaps, since the time of Sir Isaac Newton) cannot but give pleasure to all my readers, I shall endeavourer to gratify them with the communication of a few particulars which I have from the best authority. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Doctor, having published his method of verifying his hypothesis concerning the sameness of electricity with the matter of lightning, was waiting for the erection of a spire [on Christ Church] in Philadelphia to carry his views into execution; not imagining that a pointed rod of a moderate height could answer the purpose; when it occurred to him that by means of a common kite he could have better access to the regions of thunder than by any spire whatever.Preparing, therefore, a large silk handkerchief and two cross-sucks of a proper length on which to extend it, he took the opportunity of the first approaching thunderstorm to take a walk in the fields, in which there was a shed convenient for his purpose. But, dreading the ridicule which too commonly attends unsuccessful attempts in science, e communicated his intended experiment to nobody but his son ? then twenty- one, not a child as in the traditional illustrations of the scene ? who assisted him In raising the kite. The kite being raised, a considerable time elapsed before there was any appearance of Its being electrified. One very promising cloud had passed over It without any effect; when, at length, just as he was beginning to despair of his contrivance, he observed some loose threads of the hempen string to stand erect, and to avoid one another, Just as if they had been suspended on a common conductor. Struck with this promising appearance, he immediately presented his knuckle to the key, and (let the reader Judge of the exquisite pleasure he must have felt at that moment) the discovery was complete.He perceived a very evident electric spark. Others succeeded, even before the string was wet, so as to put the matter past all dispute, and when the rain had wet the string he collected electric fire very copiously. This happened in June 1752, a month after the electricians in France had verified the same theory, but before he heard of anything they had done. Correspondence by Franklin to his friend Peter , (whom started this madness by sending Franklin a glass rod which had produced static electricity), cedar the width of an extended silk handkerchief, with the corners of the handkerchief tied to the cedar frame.Silk was used so as not to be as easily torn as paper. To the top of the front cedar cross member he attached a one foot metal wire approximately one foot in height. The standard hemp twine was used as a lanyard, and to the end of the lanyard was attached the infamous metal key. When it came time for the experiment, Franklin showed the intuition to conduct his experiment indoors, or at least under cover, and the str ing not touching the window or doormen. Given this set-up, and a passing thunder cloud, he was able to observe the fibers of the hemp lanyard pulling in opposite directions.This is where l, knowing what we all know now, would conclude the experiment. Not Ben Franklin. He waits for it to rain and get every thing wet. At that point he places his knuckle against the metal key and voile he got shocked, a lot I think, thus proving his theory of current (plasma) and electricity. While Benjamin Franklin will always be famous for his kite in the storm, he continued with his electrical experiments, even originating terms still used today such as battery charge, condenser, conductor, positively, negatively, and armature.One must wonder what the world would be like today without one man that would undertake such an endeavor. Sources: Benjamin Franklin Franklin Institute us history. Org Carl van , 1938 Ben Franklin Portrait of the Man The Electric Ben Franklin His famous stormy kite flight in June of 1752 led him to develop many of the terms that we still use today when we talk about electricity: battery, conductor, condenser, charge, discharge, uncharged, negative, minus, plus, electric shock, and electrician. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample Moral perfection Is not entirely possible because often circumstances present that are beyond ones control. Furthermore, people will critique the virtues of moral perfection much differently. Moral perfection is not obtainable because there are extraneous circumstances and conflicting views of the moral virtues. Circumstances occurring beyond ones control prevent the attainment of moral perfection. Day to day obstacles can alter ones behavior and outlook on the day.Such obstacles may include temptations, individual interactions, and environmental influences. The severity and the number of obstacles encountered will also impede mastering moral virtues. Benjamin Franklin infers in his Autobiography that obtaining the thirteen virtues requires persistent vigilance and avoidance of previous habits and temptations. In conclusion, achieving d moral perfection is often complicated by the mere reality that every day one may not be on top of the game. Interpretation of the moral virtues can be viewed in very different ways.In Benjamin Franklins Autobiography, he suggests that temperance was confined to come as eating and drinking while others expanded the interpretation to mean moderation of every other pleasure, appetite, inclination, or passion. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One may be either more or less critical of others compared to themselves. The precepts of the moral virtues must be interpreted consistently in order to strive toward moral perfection. In conclusion, unforeseen circumstances and differing critiques of the precepts of moral virtues prohibit succeeding with moral perfection.Moral perfection Is a good model upon which to improve ones life, but It Is not realistic. Rather, focusing on to the best of ones abilities and keeping others best Interests at heart will better serve Individuals and the world. Accepting ones weaknesses and building upon ones strengths will ultimately lead to attainment of personal success and overall happiness. Benjamin Franklin By The quest for human perfection is ideal, but the realization that this is possible may be an unrealistic expectation. In Benjamin Franklins Autobiography he formulating a plan, and evaluating selected virtues weekly.Benjamin Franklin devoted one whole week to each virtue in which he strive to eliminate any bad habits. Mr.. Franklin saw his faults diminish as he evaluated himself over a period of several years. Moral perfection is not entirely possible because often circumstances moral virtues prohibit succeeding with moral perfection. Moral perfection is a good model upon which to improve ones life, but it is not realistic. Rather, focusing on living to the best of ones abilities and keeping others best interests at heart will better serve individuals and the world. Benjamin Franklin free essay sample Colonies. Benjamin Franklin also acquired success from being a writer, printer, man of science, and being a philanthropist. The Inventive mind of Benjamin Franklin produced the well- known Franklin stove, bifocals, carriage and also the public institutions, such as the free library and postal system (Latter 838). Benjamin Franklin was an Intelligent man with a remarkable talent for Inventing things which had a major Influence on eighteenth Century America.He was appreciated by many followers and his ability to write and invent contributed greatly to American society. Benjamin Franklins father Josiah Franklin was a candle and soap maker and Franklin at the age of 10 was an apprentice for his fathers business. Franklins father desired for young Franklin to obtain a career in service to the church or in the family business of making candles and soap. Benjamin Franklin ATA very young age exhibited a desire to be independent and self-reliant and rebelled against his fathers wishes. We will write a custom essay sample on Benjamin Franklin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Franklin did not enjoy working as an apprentice to his fathers business and at the age of 12, he instead became an apprentice to his older brother ND learned about the printing business and at the same time he developed his literary skills. Benjamin attended school for a short period of time but due to his family financial hardship, he was unable to complete school. Coming from a poor background Benjamin Franklin was determined to reach success and no obstacles that presented itself on his journey to success was going to inhibit him.Franklin did not allow financial circumstances to prevent him from pursuing his goal of excelling academically; he continued to educate himself by reading a vast amount of books, ND acquired as much knowledge as he can. Benjamin Franklin abided by certain self-constraints, which would later help him to become the most famous man of his time. At the age of seventeen Franklins desire for independence from his family drove him to leave Boston for Philadelphia. After a year in Philadelphia he relocated and moved to London, where he took a Job at a print shop. Almost two years later, more experienced In the social and economic realties of life, Franklin returned to Philadelphia, where he devoted many years to establishing himself as a printer and helicopters (Latter 838). Franklin was very successful as a printer and editor of a his own from which he published The Pennsylvania Gazette to which he contributed many essays (Holman 3). His intentions for the Gazette were to utilize all the knowledge he had acquired and produce the best newspaper possible. Franklin continued writing literary works for quite some time and one of those literary works in which he was famous for was his autobiography. Benjamin Franklin was all about self improvement, desiring to be the best he can be and making adjustments along the way to advance himself. According to Walter Caisson he states , that most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, wash himself. In his autobiography, part two he spoke of thirteen virtues that were necessary and desirable to him. The names of the thirteen virtues are: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility.Franklin states that his intentions are to acquire the Habituated of all these Virtues Not by attempting the whole at once, but to fix on one of them at time (Latter 914). Franklin obviously found fault within himself and he was determined to fix those faults. By him listing these thirteen virtues, he basically had a guideline to follow so that he can become a better person, and he followed the concept on a weekly basis. Benjamin Franklins leadership skills influenced many people of his time and also those of today.Franklin is considered to be an important individual who contributed to the national heritage of American society. According R. V. Jones he states that, Franklin has a very special claim as a man of science and sides who had a warm social conscience, deep in loyalties and affection both for the Colonies in which he was born and for the motherland from which his forebears had come. Benjamin Franklin was considered as one of the most prominent scientists in America. He gained much fame from his experiments in electricity and a product of his experiments with electricity was the lightening rod.His inquisitive nature allowed him to explore how many things work and if he found a way to improve on something he would do it. Franklin started out publishing literary works, but his passion for science prevailed much more. As years went on Franklin obtained different positions in his community. According to Jones, Franklin became a Clerk to the Pennsylvania Assembly, and in 1737 Postmaster at Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin was goal driven, he saw and observed things and desired for there to be a change in the Colonies.In 1734 he made a proposal to form an American Philosophical Society, which would help in improving Philadelphia. The control center of his new society in which he was President of was in Philadelphia and by it being located there made Philadelphia more advanced than other cities located thin the colonies. This project that he took charge of allowed for the streets of Philadelphia to be paved, cleaned and to be lit. The establishment of this Society started and environment al cleanup that was well needed in Franklins eyes. In the sasss politics became an active interest for Benjamin Franklin.According to Holman, he states that in politics (Franklin) proved very able both as an administrator and as a controversialists he goes on the say that Franklins most notable service in home politics was his reform of the postal system; but his fame as statesman rests chiefly on hi s services in connection with the relations of the Colonies with Great Britain and later with France. Franklin was sent to England to England for five years so that the people there can become enlighten to the ministry of England as to Colonial conditions (Holman 4).He was sent back to England again in 1764 as an ambassador for the colonies, and at this appointed time he was to petition to the King of England, to take back the government out of the hands of proprietors. The Stamp Act of 1765 took Franklin by surprise due to the fact that he as in opposition to it along with the American Colonies. This event that took place made Franklin question if America should disassemble itself from England. Even though he had many colleagues in England, he was growing quite weary of the dishonesty he saw all around him in politics and royal circles.He took action and proposed a plan to unite the Colonies and he worked diligently towards that goal. Benjamin Franklin had a goal in mind and that was to declare Independence for the Colonies from under Englands rule. Franklin worked on a committee that drafted up he Declaration of Independence, it was signed and passed on July 4th, 1776. This is the day year round that Americans celebrates its Independence from British rule. Benjamin Franklin in his later years was involved with the abolition of slavery.According to The Journal of Negro History it states that, of the fathers of the republic who first saw the evils of slavery, none made a more forceful argument against the institution than Benjamin Franklin. Franklin had strong views on slavery and thought that it should be done away with. The argument that Franklin made against slavery is hat a man of a lowly estate himself, could not sympathize with the man who felt that his bread should be wrung from the sweat of anothers brow (41). He desired to see this institution of human cruelty to be abolished. He didnt see the Justification in having a human being and Africans at that working in the fields producing products for their owner when the owner themselves can perform the same duties. Joseph Downs states that a reading of Franklins letters and biographies leaves a lasting admiration and respect for the wisdom, human sympathy, intellectual curiosity, wit and diplomacy of the man. Without Benjamin Franklins wisdom, knowledge, intellect and courage to stand in the forefront on the behalf of the American Colonies, the American government, as we know it would not exist.

Free Essays on Rip Van Winkle

Literary analyses of â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† Rip Van Winkle is a man from a small village located at the foot Kaatskill Mountains. He lives with his wife, 2 kids, and his dog. His son, Rip Van Winkle, was just like his father. His dog, Wolf, was his best friend. They were always together and Wolf was always faithful. Rip Van Winkle is a man of many traits. He always helped others while his home remained pretty well run down. In the short story â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†, Washington Irving uses simple, henpecked, lazy and friendly to describe the main character Rip Van Winkle. The first thing that is used to describe Rip Van Winkle is simple. Rip is a simple man that just enjoys life. Irving says this by saying â€Å"Rip Van winkle was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble†(36). This tells that Rip takes what he can get without much hassle for it. Then Irving states, â€Å"if left to himself, he would have whistled life away, in perfect contentment†(36). Rip just takes life as it comes and does not worry about nothing but what’s happening with him at that point and time. Rip seems to have no worries or regrets about his simple life. The second point that is portrayed by Rip Van Winkle is henpecked. Henpecked means that he’s nagged and yelled at all the time by his wife. One example of him being henpecked is when it says, â€Å"his wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness and the ruin ha was bringing on his family†(36). His wife is always pestering him about how he is ruining his family because of how he is. It then says â€Å"He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing†(36). He has been so badly verbally abused that he would not say anything for fear of more yelling. Then Irving also quotes â€Å"he is fain to draw off his fo... Free Essays on Rip Van Winkle Free Essays on Rip Van Winkle Literary analyses of â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† Rip Van Winkle is a man from a small village located at the foot Kaatskill Mountains. He lives with his wife, 2 kids, and his dog. His son, Rip Van Winkle, was just like his father. His dog, Wolf, was his best friend. They were always together and Wolf was always faithful. Rip Van Winkle is a man of many traits. He always helped others while his home remained pretty well run down. In the short story â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†, Washington Irving uses simple, henpecked, lazy and friendly to describe the main character Rip Van Winkle. The first thing that is used to describe Rip Van Winkle is simple. Rip is a simple man that just enjoys life. Irving says this by saying â€Å"Rip Van winkle was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble†(36). This tells that Rip takes what he can get without much hassle for it. Then Irving states, â€Å"if left to himself, he would have whistled life away, in perfect contentment†(36). Rip just takes life as it comes and does not worry about nothing but what’s happening with him at that point and time. Rip seems to have no worries or regrets about his simple life. The second point that is portrayed by Rip Van Winkle is henpecked. Henpecked means that he’s nagged and yelled at all the time by his wife. One example of him being henpecked is when it says, â€Å"his wife kept continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness and the ruin ha was bringing on his family†(36). His wife is always pestering him about how he is ruining his family because of how he is. It then says â€Å"He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing†(36). He has been so badly verbally abused that he would not say anything for fear of more yelling. Then Irving also quotes â€Å"he is fain to draw off his fo... Free Essays on Rip Van Winkle Sentimentality In Changing Times In â€Å"Rip Van Winkle,† Washington Irving conveys the theme of a changing world with the essence of an underlying sentimentality. This story shows the radical changes that affect a small Dutch village in the Catskill Mountains after the Revolutionary War. The sense of sentimentality is shown in Rip’s yearning for the twenty years he missed while sleeping, and also in the simple times villagers lived in before the revolt against Great Britain. In The Reference Guide to American Literature, Daniel Hoffman says, â€Å"Irving’s pervasive theme of nostalgia for the unrecoverable past is here at once mythologized and made unforgettable† (456). This observation is the central idea in â€Å"Rip Van Winkle† made apparent to the reader through several specific occasions. The first occasion where Rip feels a strong sense of nostalgia is when he sees his dog, Wolf, whom he believed was dead or lost after not finding him in the mountains. Wolf is Rip’s closest companion, and together they suffer through many lectures from Rip’s wife, Dame Van Winkle. Rip finds solace in spending time with Wolf, whether they are taking leisurely walks or going hunting. Wolf is even present in Rip’s venture through the mystical mountains that would eventually result in his twenty-year slumber. As Rip returns to the village the morning after he wakes up, he is confused because he doesn’t recognize anyone walking on the street, and his own home is dilapidated and abandoned. When he sees Wolf he is immediately excited to return to his normal life and hopeful that everything is all right. However, Rip is disappointed when his best friend, Wolf, scoffs at him as if he were a stranger. Irving says, â€Å"Rip called him by name but the cur sn arled, showed his teeth, and passed on† (161). This outright display of hatred gives Rip his first pang of sentimentality for the old days he spent with Wolf. Although Rip does n... Free Essays on Rip Van Winkle Analysis of Dame Van Winkle In Washington Irving’s â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†, Dame Van Winkle is described as â€Å"a termagant wife† (p. 574) with â€Å"a tart temper† and â€Å"and sharp tongue† (p. 575). In fact, Dame Van Winkle was so domineering that Rip frequently sought solace outside of his own home. However, his wife could have simply been completely frustrated by his lack of initiative to assist in the upkeep of his home and family and stunned by the depth of laziness. Perhaps this was Dame Van Winkle’s attempt to get Rip to actually do something useful for his own family. Rip’s response to being confronted by his wife was to shrug his shoulders, shake his head, roll his eyes and remain silent (p. 575). During the time period this classic was written, a woman was dependent upon her husband as the sole financial supporter of the family. Dame Van Winkle may not have known the extent of Rip’s idleness prior to their marriage. Many marriages were arranged by parents versus entered into by consenting and in love adults. A wife was expected to keep the home and raise the children. A husband was to provide for the family. By Rip’s own admission in referring to the house, Dame Van Winkle â€Å"always kept in neat order† (p. 579). However, Rip was not willing to provide for his own family choosing instead to assist his neighbors (p. 374). Since his was not living up to his familial responsibilities, Dame Van Winkle took every occasion to bring his failings to his attention in the hopes of changing him. At the time, her options were limited and her dilemma maddening at best. Rip must have had some love for (or fear of) his wife for upon awakening from his sleep h is first thoughts were not of his faithful companion Wolf, but of his wife (p. 578). Yet consistent with his lazy nature, Rip’s thoughts were of the excuses he would use when he encountered the dreaded Dame Van Winkle. Upon Rip’s return from the moun...

Approach to Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Approach to Leadership and Management - Essay Example The issues are recognized and possible solutions with simple implementation strategies are proposed. The world today is changing every moment and the fast track progress and growth of economies has resulted in change in the priorities and objectives of each and every individual in this world. The trends is in the industry and technology are changing as well and the investors and owners in order to maximize profits and deliver better services to customers are incorporating innovative technologies in their companies and are pushing their staff to deliver their hundred percent for the collective growth and progress of the individuals. The magnitude of research and development is very large as compared to the levels in past and as a result the only those organizations are able to survive which are better suited to the current scenario and are technologically customized and up to date. Moreover since the workers and staff are the actual assets of a company, it is very much important that the companies should develop their staff and employees according to the changing scenario and make them work in a perfect working environment in which they can not only work to their fullest but can also grow. The organizations should devise strategies which can be molded according to the conditions because the economic scenario and the customer demands are varying every instant. The organizations which refuse to change themselves with the changing scenario of globalization and advancement in economy are dying out and many new companies with better strategies and structure are replacing them. In the following pages the below mentioned criteria will be established and the two companies will be analyzed on the basis of these established criteria: 1. Approach to leadership and management 2. Teams and teamworking 3. Organizational Culture 4. Organizational Design and Structure 5. PESTLE Analysis 6. Analysis based on theory x and theory y of human motivation Approach to Leadership and Ma nagement A leader is a person who guides its organization towards the established targets and goals. The job of the leader is to assume the frontline role in an organization and teach the employees and workers, through examples, the path to success. While leading an organization or a team a leader has to be very flexible and has to play various roles to train the staff and workers because they follow him. When the workers and employees need morale boasts, the leader should recognize their efforts and provide motivation to them in the form of rewards. According to Daniel Goleman (1998), all leaders have a high degree of emotional intelligence. He accepts that IQ and technical skills are important, but laid emphasis on these additional qualities. The position a CEO occupies in an organization is because of his technical and managerial skills but that does not classify him to be a good leader as well, a good leader should depict additional qualities and skills of which emotional intell igence is the most important. Emotional intelligence enables a leader to understand and perceive the demands, goals and aspirations of his staff. The leader should also develop an understanding of the personal targets of the individuals and should help them achieving them staying within the organization. This approach can ensure retention in the organizatio

The Case of Enron and Arthur Andersen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Case of Enron and Arthur Andersen - Essay Example The greed that was evident did not benefit any one party at all. When the company shares lost ground in trading, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy and the US congress were on hand to instigate reforms that had the aim of ensuring that occurrences like those at Enron could not occur again. Arthur Andersen, the auditor at Enron, could be said to have received what it deserved in terms of being forced out of the market place due to bankruptcy. Additionally, the audit firm became a template of negative audit firms. The US federal government crafted regulatory legislation that is being taken up by other countries to prevent such occurrences in the future. For example, Mexico adopted those regulations in 2006 popularly referred to as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Discussion Enron as a corporate entity was not guilty of any major crimes that were blatantly obvious. On the most part, the company was indicted for misleading the outside forces charged with consulting for it and also misrepresented its financial situation1. These misrepresentations and falsehoods cannot entirely be considered as crimes. On the contrary, fraud can be considered as a crime but the very act of proving a criminal intent to defraud is very difficult. On the other hand, Arthur Andersen was convicted of a repeated single crime which entailed the obstruction of justice. This was largely due to the destruction of Enron documents that the audit firm continuously did. The shredding of those documents, which the accounting firm was well aware could be used in an SEC investigation, was in itself a crime. The case of Enron led to a number of individuals that were charged with different tasks to be charged with serious crimes with some of them pleading guilty to some. Mostly, many pleaded guilty with conspiracy to mislead that they did by presenting unfair reports on the company finances. Both Enron and Andersen had total disregard for any ethical conduc t that was expected of them. There is no need for detailed presentation of the breaches in ethics as they were pretty blatant. This discussion is not focused on ethics despite the fact that legal ethics, financial analysis ethics and banking ethics were totally disregarded. Since the breach of ethics is not a crime, it is not pertinent to dwell on it. Enron is clearly in violation of the guidelines that are laid out in the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)2. There are three instances of the breach of GAAP that are notable in the conduct of Enron. The first is that the Special Purpose Entities? (SPEs) accounts were incorrect. The equity method of accounting was selectively utilized in the SPE accounting as well as the failure of consolidation and failure of the elimination of the impacts associated with the transactions carried among the entities. The second is that there was partial disclosure of accounts and the last is that the financial reporting was not fair. In do ing the above, Enron and Andersen can be thought of having viewed GAAP as being merely rules and not regulations. They also leaned towards the interpretation of GAAP in a more aggressive manner than normally envisaged. Additionally, they disregarded the fairness principle that is central to GAAP and in doing this, they ignored the fact that fairness is emphasized more that rules as well as accounting that focuses on the economic

Critical approaches to humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical approaches to humanities - Essay Example Human evolution of thought has redefined most of what has been written as each contemporary period interprets work from a different perspective. In order to understand meanings and interpret the writing for the intended meanings, culture must be studied and examined to give the language context. Burke (1993: 56) begins his discussion of the context of culture as it relates to the written novel by stating that â€Å"Literature explores and makes sense of the mystery of the human condition in all its varied and twisted configurations†. When literature is looked at through this perspective, it is clear that beyond the idea of the story, the revelations of plot, setting, and theme, is the underlying creation of a reflection of how human beings relate to one another and to their world within a specific cultural context. This does not discount universality or the idea that human beings are at the core, human, but it does take into consideration the idea of meaning. The meaning of a concept will be very different in one time and space than it is in another. As an example, a modern reading of Macbeth creates a sense of the fantastical, belief suspended to accept the idea of witches that give over prophesy and ghosts (although often this is considered Macbeth’s hallucination) that torment those who have acted against them in life. From a contemporary perspective, however, the idea of witches and ghosts was very real to the audience. The three witches would not require the suspension of disbelief, but would be a reflection of the contemporary beliefs of Jacobean England. This could be compared to the reception of the film The Passion of Christ during a world a thousand years from now where the religions of today have transformed or been eliminated. The belief with which viewers watch this film will not have the same context as it would in a thousand years. The study of English began with the

SWOT Analysis of E-Commerce Opportunity

SWOT Analysis of E-Commerce Opportunity Description and Market Potential Description Introduction: Describe what an e-commerce opportunity is. Cite sources. The current system was developed as part of an internal intranet define terms clearly with sources. This allows staff to set up alerts based on requests by existing clients or through new clients brought in by sales. This process could be automated into a website that allowed clients to review, purchase and setup their own alerts for their company without the need for manual processes by internal employees. This model favours a higher volume of sales at a lower cost with the potential to access new B2B what is this? sales outside of the current high value business clients. The single unit of sales for the site is an alert. A single alert covers: A number of twitter users to follow, these can be defined and grouped by the user for management convenience. A key area of the product will be pre-defined groups maintained by social360 that identify the influential journalists, bloggers and social media commentators from specific business sectors and geographical areas. Limitations are imposed on the user for numbers of â€Å"influencers†not yet defined per alert or group depending on the package selected and price The keywords the customer wants to follow. This requires an easy to understand process that defines the words to match or exclude and the logic that joins them together, either AND or OR. The people that the user sets up to alert, these can be managed as groups that can be shared across alerts or as individuals. Process requiring that the intended recipient is invited and accepts the receipt of alerts and can manage their subscription to alerts is required to avoid the sending of unsolicited email. SWOT Analysis (what are you analysing – Social 360? You have not yet identified your product or service for your proposed e-commerce activity – state your service idea clearly at the beginning – paragraph 2) Strengths Already tested as a concept. Good feedback from clients using the existing service. Few competitors offering similar services. Low running costs. No stock or inventory, a digital product. Weaknesses Reliant on suppliers of data services, rapidly changing marketplace. Requires proprietary software which could increase development time. Opportunities Potentially large market unlimited by import/export taxes. Possibility of licensing to agencies in the future. Good expansion possibilities, creation of new products/services. Application can be localised for international sales. Threats Competitors offer limited services for free, need to focus on our differences. Services require high-availability service interruption must be avoided. Time to market is key in fast moving sector. Cost reduction devalues product for high value clients. PESTEL Analysis Political Changes in State and European law could affect service providers and their ability to provide the basic services required for the product. Economic Scalability of costs what is this? from suppliers needs to be assessed. Internal limits on staffing requirements and costs. Social Modern social landscape online provides potential customers interested in marketing, brand analysis and monitoring. Trends towards greater public sharing of data and opinions. New Public Relations in corporations moving from print media towards social media. Technological Fast moving changes in licensing of data from social media platforms could disrupt data suppliers Reliability of product is key, technology must be selected to provide continuity in services as missed content is unlikely to be tolerated. Use of freely available APIs provided by social media platforms should be exploited to improve informational content behind core services. Environmental Low general environmental impact. Data centres are the most significant use of energy, possibility of researching most efficient providers. Legal Must adhere to the data protection act concerning customer information Must be aware of requirements outlined in the e-commerce regulations act of 2002 Must be aware Suppliers terms and conditions Strategy/Vision The primary e-commerce strategy is to exploit new markets that are not currently reachable through traditional sales methods. Designing a system that is configurable through a public facing website removes the need for company employees to configure and administer alerts. When combined with a package selection process and payment system this creates a product with a sales process that removes a significant portion of the cost. Reducing the cost and improving the scalability of a virtual package selling allows for smaller businesses in a larger marketplace to to become targets for the product. Another significant factor is being able to pay minimal costs to translate and localise the interface into regional versions that can reach markets that would traditionally need sales staff who potentially need to speak the language and reside within the timezone. Objectives Vision Create a product of value to anyone marketing a brand or product or requiring social media tracking of a subject relating to their organisation. Provide a satisfying and intuitive user experience throughout all aspects of the site. Achieve levels of reliability befitting of a service for use in times of organisational crisis and for sending critical information. Produce alerts of social media content matching the clients needs delivered in a timely and reliable way to the organisational members that need it. Maintain the privacy and security of users of the site. Goals Primary initial objective is to produce a working and testable â€Å"beta† version of the site within 4 months this entails: Research market potential of the product, assess competitors offerings. 1 week. Analysis of the current system used internally to identify its strengths and weaknesses, proposing areas for improvement specifically in usability. 1 week Research and planning; research available technology that can be used, specifically frameworks to assist with development and APIs relating to suppliers of data, email and payment services. 2 weeks Development of site to alpha version, unit, integration and component interface testing. 2 months System testing and deployment, acceptance testing. 1 month Market Research Applicable primary market research is based around feedback from existing clients using a similar product that fulfils the same function. Formulated questions and their responses can become part of account managers normal communication with clients communications departments. This allows for the gathering of data from questionnaire style responses conducted in a telephone interview style without the need to mail drop the client with what could possibly be off-putting marketing material. For existing clients the specifications for current alert configurations contain valuable data about the market. Clients can be separated into sectors showing their usage of the system based on the keywords, trends and influential people that they choose to follow. The marketing usage for these clients will allow for more targeted advertising to different business types. Possible selling points include: Brand management. Tracking social media conversation surrounding a brand or product. Product Launch. Analysing conversation on social media follow a product launch. Consumer Dissent. Providing data to help formulate response to criticism or protest. Political/Legislative. Tracking a core political issue or legislation change that affects the market place. Secondary research includes the use of publicly sourced data to understand the use of social media in the marketing and public relations departments of potential clients. This is a rapidly changing environment in marketing as companies realise the potential for using social media for marketing purposes and the need to monitor outlets that have influence. Social media marketing budgets will double over the next 5 years (Pam Dyer, 2013) From 2010 to 2012 the percentage of Americans following any brand on a social network increased from 16% to 33%. An increase of 106%. (Van Den Beld, B, 2012) Competitor analysis The closest competitor providing service of this nature is Yatterbox. Yatterbox provide a real time alert service limited by numbers of keywords and following fixed lists of influential accounts. SWOT analysis of yatterbox from the point of view of our product: Strengths Well maintained lists of influential social media commenters. Existing user base, current market leader. Good coverage of social media platforms. Graphical analysis of data history Weaknesses No provision for self maintained lists of influential sources. Limited number of search terms allowed on basic accounts. No real time alerts on basic accounts. Our Opportunities Provide greater control over lists of sources Allow user maintained lists Provide unlimited keyword search terms. Compete on price, offer limited free subscription to build user base. Offer real time and scheduled alerts Our Threats Not the first to market Comparison is inevitable, must compete on their strengths and highlight our own unique selling points. Competing on price doesnt allow us to set our own pricing. Yatterbox Pricing (Yatterbox, accessed 16 May 2014) 3.2 Systems Evaluation Service Providers A significant part of the product relies on services provided by third parties as a reliable platform for key functionality. The e-commerce part of the site also requires payment services to complete transactions. Data There are 2 main players in providing data streams from social media platforms who have licenses to provide social media data from a number of online platforms. Initially the main platform of concern is Twitter as this has been identified as the man driver of news within social media. Datasift and Gnip both provide APIs to allow for connection to streams of content based on rules to filter data. For our purposes we only require data from users accounts that are requested by users of our product. Streams can also be filtered by keywords but we intend to provide the setup for this within our own users accounts allowing them to decide what subjects are important to them. Main concerns affecting the choice are the ease of integration of the product, quality of documentation, reliability of the stream and cost. It may not be possible to completely asses these factors without trialling the services of both providers. Email The reliable delivery of email alerts is a critical factor in provision of the service. Usage of standard SMTP services within standard email accounts is unlikely to meet the requirements of sending large volumes of email due to concerns over spamming and unsolicited email. There are a number of services that are designed to provide a high volume email delivery platform. These also generally give better logging and information about delivery statuses and failures which we can transfer to the user to allow them to manage the recipients of their alerts. Providers include: Sendgrid Amazon SES Socketlabs Mailjet The relative advantages and disadvantages of each would have to be assessed using demo services and investigating the APIs in applicability to our own needs. At a first look Sengrid appears to be a good fit with clear documentation with examples of integration in a number of platforms, favourable independent reviews and a competitive pricing plan. Registrar/DNS services The main reason for the registrar is the registration of the required domain name for the website, but other concerns include the ability to manage DNS Explain meaning . This requires that the registrar used provides good online services for the administration of DNS records. Hosting For this type of project shared hosting (where servers are shared by a number of customers) is unlikely to provide the level of control and reliability required. Some of the processes we intend to setup on the server, such as the stream connections and management of email queues and processing, require a level of access that is generally limited or non-existent on shared servers. This leaves Cloud Computing service or Dedicated Servers as possible platforms for the services. For this project there are a number of unknowns that mean the usage of cloud computing is undesirable. Bandwidth, disk and memory usage and SQL storage costs are difficult to predict and can be expensive on cloud platforms. These are easier to assess as a known cost quantity on a dedicated system where it is possible to buy services with unlimited bandwidth and hardware more than capable of hosting the site for a reasonable length of time into its launch. The downside is reliability of a single point of failure in the hardware but this can be addresses by mirroring important services across colocated servers and using load balancing to route requests. SSL Certificate Most Service Providers who sell Secure Socket Layer certificates have a number of options ranging from basic encryption certificates that just offer the encryption required to secure data in transit to those offering users greater confidence through vetting processes to ensure the organisation using the certificate is who they say they are. The certificates offered are usually 1 one of four of 4 types: Simple SSL security, offering encryption services identified by the use of https protocol prefix in the browser address bar and the browser â€Å"padlock† symbol. Domain Validation SSL, same as the simple with added checks for the validity of the domain. Users can click on â€Å"Site Seal† icons to check the validity of the domain with the certificate issuer. Organisational Validation SSL, same checks as the domain with extra vetting process for more information on the organisation when clicking the â€Å"site seal† icon. Extended Validation SSL, the most stringent checks are carried out by the certificate issuing authority to validate legal, physical and operational existence of the organisation and that this information matches official records. This results in the browser displaying a highlighted green validation bar in the the address area with details of the verified company. (GlabalSign Ltd, accessed 19 May 2014) Whilst not all forms of payment integration described below strictly require the use of an SSL certificate any transfer of user information is best encrypted in this way and is essential if when hosting localised checkout pages. The use of encryption coupled with verification checks that can be performed by the user increases their confidence in the site, however I am unable to find any study or clear statistical evidence that there is an increase in user confidence or sales conversion rate through using Extended Valuation SSL over the simpler forms. Payment Gateway Considerations for payment gateways include: Charges imposed and how they scale with volume Applicability of the integration. Quality of the API and documentation Security Some payment gateways are linked to a merchant bank account and provide the possibility for a more seamless checkout experience with a greater level of customisation and control over the checkout experience. Sagepay, a popular UK payment provider has 4 possible levels of integration a serves as a good example of possible solutions: Form integration. No customer data is stored on site, entire checkout process handled by Sagepay. Simple and quick to integrate, shortest development time. No on-site security issues from storing customer data. Limited customisation, no control over checkout steps Limited opportunity for customer data recording. Server Integration. Customer transaction details can be stored locally, card details and payment pages handled by Sagepay. Card transactions simplified by sagepay. Advantages in storing customer transaction information, improve user experience on site. Limited customisation, no control over checkout steps. Increased security issues by handling customer data. Server inframe integration. Similar to the server integration but allows greater control through embedding the sagepay card payment step into and iframe in the checkout process. Card details handled by sagepay. Store customer transaction information locally. Full checkout customisation, only the card details step handled by sagepay. Greater opportunities for customer interaction during checkout. (help, chat, feedback etc) Increased development time, checkout steps need to be created and tested. Increased security issues through handling customer data. Direct integration. All aspects of the payment process are handled on site including customer card information, greatest level of control over the checkout and completely seamless as it only communicates with sagepay at the point of transaction processing from the local server. Greater control over customer checkout, data handling and checkout flow. No front-end considerations for integration, user experience entirely customisable. Longest development time, requires greatest consideration of implications. Greatest security risk. Requires PCI DSS certification (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) (Sagepay, accessed 15 May 2014) Other payment solutions do not require merchant accounts and can not be seamlessly integrated into the checkout flow. Systems such as PayPal offer solutions for easy integration that will always require that the user leaves the payment issuing site to go through the payment process (although PayPal does offer merchant account solutions as well), transaction reporting can be provided through call back systems such as PayPal Instant Payment Notification. There are advantages in using PayPal as it has a very large user base. This user base has become accustomed to the convenience of faster checkouts as there billing data and preferences are already stored and do not require re-entry during the checkout procedure helping to increase sales conversions for new customers. (PayPal, accessed 15 May 2014) Project Management/Version Control As with any software development version control is essential to manage the codebase. There are currently 2 main considerations for version control that are both open sourced and have online services to provide remote repositories for code. Git is a widely used Version Control System and can be hosted on github.com Mecurial provides similar functionality and can be hosted by bitbucket.org Other services go further than just version control by providing project management tools that fit in with software design methodologies such as Agile. These include: Assembla Basecamp

Prescription Drug Abuse in America Essay -- Prescription Drug Abuse Ep

When a person thinks of problems that haunt the state, mostly what comes to mind are drunk driving, the meth epidemic, or the bipolar weather, but our state has a crisis that is on the rise and catching the attention of the police force all over the state. Our state ranks high among all states with people, ages 12 and older, taking prescription pills without being prescribed them. (NSDUH) Many teens and adults can recall a friend asking them for their prescription pills or have witnessed someone taking these pills illegally. Throughout my life, there are many instances that I can recall from memory that deal with prescription pills and these instance changed or altered my life. People tend to think that prescription pills are safer than street drugs because they are made for people to take. But in one occurrence, my mother lost her best friend and my good friend lost his mother to the addiction with prescription drugs, which caused a downward spiral in her life. One might ask, what i s the state doing to stop this epidemic? One might also wonder what effects prescription drug abuse has on our city. My personal story and experience with the prescription drug problem started when my mother and I moved from Spain to the United States; my mother met her soon-to-be best friend, Regina. When I was a child, my mother never told me about the serious problem that Regina had: addiction to prescription pills. She wanted to shelter me from the problems it caused. Most common drugs that are abused are opioids: hydrocodone and oxycodone, depressants: diazepam, or stimulants: amphetamines, all of which Regina had been using for a considerable amount of time. (NIDA) Soon Regina’s family moved away to Florida and she told my mother that she had... ...H115/sr115-nonmedical-use-pain-relievers.htm>. (NSDUH) Griffin, R. Morgan. "Living With Chronic Pain: Treatments, Alternative Remedies, Exercises, and Tips." WebMD. Ed. Brunilda Nazario. WebMD, 09 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. . (WebMD) "Statistics of Prescription Drug Abuse, Overdosing, Emergency Room Visits: Foundation for a Drug Free World." Statistics of Prescription Drug Abuse, Overdosing, Emergency Room Visits: Foundation for a Drug Free World. Foundation For A Drug-Free World, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. . (Drug-Free World) "Prescription Drugs." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). National Institute of Health, Dec. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. . (NIDA)

Cassius Analysis

Edgar KarapetyanKarapetyan 1 1 October 2012 Cassius vs. Rome Character Analysis Essay â€Å"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. † In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar†, there are many dangerous people who are around Caesar. Cassius, supposedly one of Caesars close friends, devises a group called the Conspirators to end Caesars time of rule. This play shows how they kill him, and how Rome goes through chaos as a result.Cassius is a fascinating character created by Shakespeare. Although Antony shows many characteristics of an intelligent person, Cassius is the smartest character in this play because he has more admirable traits. A great trait to have as an individual is the power to manipulate people into doing whatever you want. Fortunately, Cassius has that ability. After devising a plan to assassinate Caesar, he searched for a particular group of people who were powerful and had the same wish he had. The most important person for his team was Brutus. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings†(28) is what Cassius tells Brutus to try and pursue him to join the conspirators. He said that Caesars rise is their fault because they are not doing anything to stop it. Cassius used his smart, clever, and manipulative ways to tell Brutus that basically, you are helping Rome by killing Caesar. â€Å"And since you know you cannot see yourself/ so well as by reflection, I, your glass/ Will modestly discover to yourself†(25) is said to Brutus to persuade him to join the conspiracy because Cassius will help him find himself.It is this manipulative ability that allows Cassius to carry out his plan and, ultimately, kill Caesar. Imagine how difficult it would be to kill a ruler. It is practically impossible unless you have the mind of a genius and the sharpness of a killer. Thanks to Cassius’ clever mind and precise planning, he accomplished this goal. Even though he ended up killing himself, he successfully completed his mission. . â€Å"He reads much;/He is a great observer, and he looks/ Quite through the deeds of men†(30-31) is said by Julius Caesar to describe Cassius. This shows that even though Julius Caesar is a stubborn, selfish person, he sees Cassius’ power.Cassius was like Michael Jordan in the 1991 NBA Finals. He was committed to succeeding his mission no matter what it took. â€Å"Yond' Cassius has a lean and hungry look; He thinks too much: such men are dangerous†(30). Based on what Caesar said about Cassius, this shows that he is so focused, other people can easily see it in his face. Cassius used his skills for the wrong reasons, but you can definitely see what kind of person he really is. The flaw that Cassius has that is very easily seen throughout this play is his jealousy of Caesar. Cassius wants the people to look at him the way they look at Ca esar. ‘But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that ’Caesar’? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? ’ (28). By trying to kill him, he thought that they would see him and Brutus as their saviors, but, instead, they saw them as traitors of Rome due to Antony’s words. â€Å"I was born free as Caesar; so were you: / we both have fed as well, and we can both / Endure the winter's cold as well as he†(27) is what Cassius says about Caesar. Cassius believes that he is just as great as Caesar and does not think that Caesar should be treated specially.Cassius’ eye for power is what causes him to kill himself. He saw that his plan had gone too far and that he would be captured so he committed suicide. Unlike Cassius, Brutus had killed Caesar for the love of Rome. Cassius is truly the villain in this story by Shakespeare. â€Å"The only thing necessary for the triumph of villains is for good men t o do nothing† Edmund burke. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy Of Julius Caesar, the good men of Rome do not allow the villain, which in this case is Cassius, to go without being punished.They pursue him until he is forced to commit suicide. Among these good people, there is Octavius, Lepidus, and most importantly, Antony. Sometimes, the smartest character is not necessarily the good guy. Through his cleverness, manipulative ability and hate for Caesar, Cassius accomplished what was practically impossible†¦ to kill a God. Works Cited â€Å"Notable Quotes in Julius Caesar. † Notable Quotes in Julius Caesar. N. p. , n. d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. ;http://www. shakespeare-navigators. com/JC_Navigator/notable_quotes. html;.

How to write an introduction for a dissertation?

The introduction is the starting point of your dissertation. The reason why the introduction for a dissertation is the most difficult part of the paper is that its main goal is to make a reader interested in the subject you have been researching. What is more, you need to prove why your research matters and what you have managed to achieve in regards to the subject under consideration. Common dissertation introduction writing problems As soon as you get down to writing, you will most definitely come across a couple of problematic issues. The thing is that students typically tend to write dissertation introductions that are lengthier than they are supposed to be. The whole point is lost and it becomes harder for a reader to grasp the main idea. Writing a very detailed introduction is another common problem. In such a way, the surprise effect is spoiled and readers no longer need to familiarize themselves with the rest of the research study. In addition, some students come up with introductions that look like they are formula-written. Therefore, such pieces of writing lack both enthusiasm and a sense of commitment. Main parts of the introduction scope; current scientific situation; motivation; theoretical and practical relevance of the research; brief description of the research design; objective of the study; problem statement; dissertation outline. You need to begin with stating the motive for your research. If you have an interesting example to illustrate your point, do not hesitate to do so, as it will immediately draw the reader’s attention. Then, proceed to describe the topic of your dissertation. Define the subject you want to research. Try to choose something unusual or under-researched. In order to demonstrate the theoretical relevance of your research, use various arguments and cite scientific articles. Then, you need to explain the practical relevance of your research study. Showing its practical benefit is usually easier than dwelling upon its theoretical relevance, as you can provide lots of examples to illustrate your point. Do not forget to mention the practical outcome of your research for the whole field or industry. Keep in mind that there is a difference between the objective and the problem statement of your dissertation. Use research questions to dwell upon the problem statement. The objective, in its turn, is the explanation of the reasons why you have decided to study this particular issue. Thus, you will need to describe what you want to achieve with this research study as well as what outcome you expect. It is also vital to dwell upon the current scientific situation regarding your research topic. What you are required to do is present a few scientific articles that deal with similar issues or ones that are related to your subject of study. Briefly explain the gist and the main message of those articles. The reason why this aspect is so important is that it demonstrates that there is a lot of theoretical information on the issue, which means you will not get stuck while working on it. Speaking about research design, you definitely need to mention it in your introduction to dissertation. Provide a brief summary of it. The last part of your introduction should be the dissertation outline. What you are supposed to do is to briefly describe how your dissertation is constructed. Try to summarize the gist of each chapter in one sentence. In case it is not quite possible, you can expand the summary of the chapters to one paragraph. Keep in mind that the outline should not be repetitively ph rased. Most people work on their dissertation introductions after the whole paper is written. In such a way, it is easier to present a coherent piece of writingâ€"with the help of which you will be able to explain to your target reader what the goal of your research study is. Speaking about the length of the dissertation introduction, there are no specific requirements. This means is your introduction for dissertation should not look like an abstract. However, it does not also mean you are supposed to submit a huge document. Make sure you write to the point. Do not repeat yourself. Present useful information to the reader. Here is a checklist of points your dissertation introduction should consist of: the research topic is limited; the practical relevance is explained; the topic is stimulating; current scientific situation in the field is demonstrated; the objective is stated; the problem statement is formulated; the research design is presented; the dissertation outline is added. It is totally normal if you cannot write a proper dissertation introduction on your first try. It takes time, which is the reason why it is important not to stress out much about it. Take a break. The best advice is to get down to the task of writing an introduction for your dissertation when you are finished with dissertation writing. This way, you will be able to organize your thoughts and submit a piece of writing in which all vital points are showcased. Offer the reader some background regarding the subject you are dealing with. Clarify what the focus of your study is. Do not forget that you will also need to explain why your research study is significant as well and what its value for the field or industry is. Make sure the reader understands the aims of your research, as well as what you are trying to achieve in the long run. The more you dwell upon all these aspects in your introduction, the easier it will be for readers to grasp your main idea. Therefore, they will be able to understand what you are working on, what impact it is going to have, as well as what results can be achieved if you are successful in reaching all these goals you have set. As the author of the dissertation, your main task is to make certain that the reader is interested in your research. You need to show your target audience a clear picture of what they are about to receive once they familiarize themselves with the subject of your research study in detail. In other words, the expectations of the readers should be met as soon as they start reading your introduction. Taking into consideration the fact that your target readers are members of a dissertation committee, what you need to do is to get to the point right away. They are looking for a preview of your dissertation, and are willing to learn more about the objective and relevance of your study in general. Begin with outlining the main argument right away. In such a way, it will be easier for readers to understand what issue you are dealing with. Then, dwell upon the methodology you have used. Explain what tools you have chosen and mention why you have decided to use those particular ones. Do not forget to define the key terms of your dissertation. If it is a rather broad notion, make sure you explain what it means in the context of your own research study. It will give readers a better understanding of your goals and the methods you used in order to achieve the desired result (Cassuto). The introduction to the dissertation is one of the most significant parts of such a piece of writing, because this is the first impression the reader gets when they start reading your document. Therefore, it is a great way to impress your target audience and motivate them to keep reading to find out more about the subject you have chosen to research. When you work on the task of writing the introduction, keep in mind that you may not write everything at once. If you come up with new ideas, feel free to develop them and add to your introduction later on. Make sure that the finished version remains coherent. Taking everything into account, writing an introduction for a dissertation is a complex and time-consuming assignment. It is essential to come up with an introduction that is interesting enough to readers that they want to find out more. Follow the steps highlighted in this article and you will be able to write an impressive dissertation introduction that will consist of all the relevant aspects the members of a dissertation committee pay so much attention to. Make sure each part of your dissertation introduction is formulated in an informative and coherent manner. Do not forget that it should be understandable and easy to read. In case you are currently dealing with term paper writing and are desperately looking for term paper help, feel free to take a look at other materials we have regarding this subject. Some of them might come in handy.

Free Essays on Martin Luther King Jr.

The Black Civil Rights movement in the 1950's and 60's was a political, legal and social struggle of the black Americans to gain full citizenship rights and to achieve racial equality. The black struggle for Civil Rights was very hard. No group in America has or has had more difficulty assimilating into the American Culture. Segregation was started by white American southerners to separate everything between the blacks and the whites. It was also knows as the "Jim Crow" system and became common to the southern. Everything possible was separated between the blacks and the whites; schools, toilet, transportation, restaurants were all separated, the blacks were poorly funded compared to the whites (Branch 72). The black people tried to fight discrimination against them whenever possible. The most significant one during the early 50's was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama led by Martin Luther King. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was told to give up her seat on a city bus to a white person (Hampton 13). When she refuses, she was arrested which caused protest by the black community. Martin Luther King at that time was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which organized the protest. These activities included marches, demonstrations, and boycotts. The violent white response to black direct action eventually forced the federal government to confront the issues of injustice and racism in the South. It made him a national figure for fighting the rights of the Black Americans. Civil rights proved to be the crucial test of the l960s. Leadership came from black political and religious organizations such as the Congress on Racial Equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Council Sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and other forms of nonviolent protest became the weapons to fight segregation. Over 200,000 men and women joined a freedom march all over America... Free Essays on Martin Luther King Jr. Free Essays on Martin Luther King Jr. The Black Civil Rights movement in the 1950's and 60's was a political, legal and social struggle of the black Americans to gain full citizenship rights and to achieve racial equality. The black struggle for Civil Rights was very hard. No group in America has or has had more difficulty assimilating into the American Culture. Segregation was started by white American southerners to separate everything between the blacks and the whites. It was also knows as the "Jim Crow" system and became common to the southern. Everything possible was separated between the blacks and the whites; schools, toilet, transportation, restaurants were all separated, the blacks were poorly funded compared to the whites (Branch 72). The black people tried to fight discrimination against them whenever possible. The most significant one during the early 50's was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama led by Martin Luther King. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was told to give up her seat on a city bus to a white person (Hampton 13). When she refuses, she was arrested which caused protest by the black community. Martin Luther King at that time was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which organized the protest. These activities included marches, demonstrations, and boycotts. The violent white response to black direct action eventually forced the federal government to confront the issues of injustice and racism in the South. It made him a national figure for fighting the rights of the Black Americans. Civil rights proved to be the crucial test of the l960s. Leadership came from black political and religious organizations such as the Congress on Racial Equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Council Sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and other forms of nonviolent protest became the weapons to fight segregation. Over 200,000 men and women joined a freedom march all over America...

Canadian history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Canadian history - Essay Example Canadian economy in general flourished during the period in question and even later on because it realized and responded positively to external opportunities and pressures; on the domestic front it improved inland transportation, allowed immigration developed an atmosphere for enterprise and imported technology from Europe leading to a steady growth of an economic infrastructure. One may argue that compared to Europe, the Canadian economic structure had peculiar characteristics comparable only with Australia. Canada has a small population living in an area which is endowed by the nature with plenty of raw material in high demand in Europe. Since there was no government emphasis on and efforts to developing the manufacturing sector, the Canadian entrepreneurs could focus on staples export to Europe and America. After the Confederation was announced in 1970, Canada found itself in the throes of breaking away from British political influence yet having to depend on it for the sale of its staples and import of manufactured goods. It had to set its own policies as a quasi-independent country even when it cannot shrug off the mainly European heritage. This was also a period when Europe itself was passing through the epochal period of industrialization and attendant socio-political change. The cultural difference between the people who ran Canada (such as British and French) and the changing geographical aspects impeded a uniform growth in economy. For instance, if the growth was propelled in some regions by the export of staples to Europe, in other regions domestic progress fueled the economic growth. Also, the progress at the national level varied from one period to the other. One aspect of Canada's economic growth is also stated to be a combination of dependent and independent progress workin g in coordination yet historians have been able to distinguish periods when economic growth was dependent and when it was independent. Therefore, studies of Canada's economic history revolve around H. A. Innis who proposed the development of staples export dependent on Europe and John Rae who was in favour of an independent model of growth. There are many versions of the staple theory proposed by Innis during the nineteenth century and of course many off-shoots of the independent John Rae's economic theory including the Nationalist School in the nineteenth century. But according to Neill, "the political fractionation and geographical expansion that constituted Confederation eventually tipped the balance, for Canada as a whole, in favour of growth dependent on primary product exportshowever, between 1866 and 1896, the central Canadian economy grew at a steady pace, unaided by any significant expansion of staple exports." (Neill, 1991) At a time when Canada enjoyed good relations with Europe especially in terms of trade, it was faced with a threat from the United States which viewed Canada as a weak British colony. Table 1: TRADE OF CANADA WITH VARIOUS COUNTRIES DURING 1886-1955 Year Total($ millions) U.S. U.K. 1886 96.0 44.6