Understanding the Progressive Era

Understanding the Progressive Era It can be difficult for students to understand the relevance of the period we call The Progressive Era because society before this period was very different from the society and the conditions we know today. We often assume that certain things have always been around, like laws about child labor and fire safety standards. If you are researching this era for a project or research paper, you should begin by thinking about the way things were before government and society changed in America. Before the events of the Progressive Era occurred (1890-1920), American society was much different. The federal government had less of an impact on the lives of the citizen than we know today.  For example, there are laws that regulate the quality of food that is sold to American citizens, the wage that is paid to workers, and the work conditions that are endured by American workers. Before the Progressive Era food, living conditions, and employment was different. Children were employed in factoriesWages were low and unregulated (with no wage minimums)Factories were crammed and unsafeNo standards existed for food safetyNo safety net existed for citizens who couldnt find employmentHousing conditions were unregulatedThe environment was not protected by federal regulations The Progressive Movement refers to social and political movements that emerged in response to rapid industrialization from which caused societal ills.  As cities and factories emerged and grew, quality of life declined for many American citizens. Many people worked to change the unjust conditions that existed as a result of the industrial growth that took place during the late 19th century. These early progressives thought that education and government intervention could ease poverty and social injustice. Key People and Events of the Progressive Era In 1886, the American Federation of Labor is founded by Samuel Gompers. This was one of many unions that emerged toward the end of the nineteenth century in response to unfair labor practices like long hours, child labor, and dangerous working conditions. Photojournalist Jacob Riis exposes deplorable living conditions in the slums of New York in his book How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York.   Conservation of natural resources becomes a matter of public concern, as the Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by John Muir. Womens Suffrage gains steam when Carrie Chapman Catt becomes president of the National American Womens Suffrage Association.   Theodore Roosevelt becomes president in 1901 after the death of McKinley. Roosevelt was an advocate for trust busting, or the breaking up of powerful monopolies that crushed competitors and controlled prices and wages. The American Socialist Party was established in 1901.   Coal miners strike in Pennsylvania in 1902 to protest their terrible working conditions. In 1906, Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, which portrayed the deplorable conditions inside the meatpacking industry in Chicago. This led to the establishment of food and drug regulations. In 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, which occupied the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of a building in New York. Most of the employees were young women aged sixteen to twenty-three, and many on the ninth floor perished because exits and fire escapes were locked and blocked by the company officials. The company was acquitted of any wrongdoing, but the outrage and sympathy from this event prompted legislation concerning  unsafe working conditions. President Woodrow Wilson signs the Keating-Owens Act in 1916, which made it illegal to ship goods across state lines if they were produced by child labor. In 1920, Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Research Topics for The Progressive Era   What was life like for children who worked in factories? How was this different from the work of children who lived on farms?How did views on immigration and race change during the Progressive Era? Did the legislation of this era effect all people, or were certain populations most affected?How do you suppose the trust busting legislation affected business owners? Consider exploring the events of the Progressive Era from the point of view of wealthy industrialists.How did living conditions change for people who moved from the country to the cities during this time period? How were people better off or worse off during the shift from country living to city living?Who were the major figures in the Womens Suffrage movement? How was life impacted for these women who came forward?Explore and compare life in a mill village and life in a coal camp.Why did the concern for environmental issues and natural resource preservation emerge at the same time as concern and awareness for social issues like poverty? How are these topics related? Writers and photojournalists were key figures in Progressive Era reforms. How does their role compare to changes that have taken place due to the emergence of social media?How has the power of the federal government changed since the Progressive Era? How have the powers of individual states changed? What about the power of the individual?How would you compare the changes in society during the Progressive Era to changes in society during and after the Civil War?What is meant by the term progressive? Were the changes that took place during this time period actually progressive? What does the term progressive mean in the current political climate?The Seventeenth Amendment, which allowed for the direct election of US Senators, was ratified in 1913 during the period known as the Progressive Era. How does this reflect the sentiments of this period?There were many setbacks to the Progressive Era movements and campaigns. Who and what created these setbacks, and what were the interests of the parties involved? Prohibition, the constitutional ban on the production and transportation of alcoholic beverages, also took place during the Progressive Era. How and why was alcohol the subject of concern during this period? What was the impact of Prohibition, good and bad, on society?What was the role of the Supreme Court during the Progressive Era?   Further Reading for The Progressive Era Prohibition and Progressive Reform The Fight for Womens Suffrage Muckrakers

Using the Spanish Verb Bastar

Using the Spanish Verb Bastar Bastar is a fairly common Spanish verb that means to suffice - or, less formally, to be enough. Its use can seem less than straightforward to learners of Spanish, however, because it is often used in different sentence structures than when similar thoughts are expressed in English. The Most Common Uses of the Verb Bastar Impersonal bastar con: Con is the most common preposition to follow forms of bastar, usually in the impersonal third-person phrase basta con. (Other tenses, such as bastaba and bastar, can also be used.) Although this phrase could literally be translated as it is sufficient with, you need not (and shouldnt!) use such an awkward phrase in English. The phrase is typically followed by a noun or an infinitive: No basta con cerrar el campo de concentracià ³n. It isnt enough to close the concentration camp.Tengo muy baja tolerancia al alcohol: me basta con comer un bombà ³n con licor y ya no conozco ni a mi madre. I have very low tolerance to alcohol; for me, it is enough to eat a liquor bonbon and I dont even know my mother.Me bastaba con un mà ­nimo de 6 gigas. A minimum of 6 gigabytes was enough for me.No basta con una semana descubrir la riqueza histà ³rica del paà ­s. A week isnt enough to discover the countrys rich history.Te basta con mi gracia. My grace is sufficient for you.Me basta con estudiar un poco la noche antes del examen. Its enough for me to study a little bit the night before the test. Note that as in some of the examples, bastar can take an object pronoun. The difference between me basta con un dà ­a and basta con un dà ­a is the difference between a day is enough for me and a day is enough. Bastar para: When bastar has a stated or implied subject (in other words, when its not used impersonally, as in the examples above), it can be followed by para and an infinitive: Una sentencia de culpabilidad no basta para hacer justicia. A guilty verdict is not enough to do justice.Una sola comida con grasas saturadas basta para obstruir las arterias. A single meal with saturated fat is enough to obstruct the arteries. Bastar (a): With a stated or implied subject, bastar can also take direct objects. The direct object is the person for which the stated thing or condition is sufficient: Los planes no le bastan al presidente. The plans arent enough for the president.Me bastarà ­an 50 km/hora. Fifty kilometers an hour would be (fast) enough for me. Bastarse: In the reflexive form, bastarse carries the idea of self-sufficiency: James se basta para desquiciar a los Spurs. James alone can get the Spurs unhinged.Nadie podemos decir que nos bastamos a nosotros mismos. Nobody can say that we can do it all by ourselves. Basta as an interjection: Either alone or with other words, basta can be used in exclamations to indicate having had enough of something:  ¡Basta de racismo! Down with racism! ¡Basta de coches enormes! Enough with big cars! ¡Basta! Enough! ¡Basta ya! Enough already! ¿Basta de todo en TV? Had enough of everything on TV?

Obesity and Weight Loss essays

Obesity and Weight Loss essays The Newsweek article, "What You Don't Know About Fat," discusses the ways in which fat cells work in the body and explains why fat is so hard to lose. Authors Anne Underwood and Jerry Adler begin the article by describing the discovery of Leptin, a chemical that regulates the body's fat cells. Researchers found that when mice were injected with Leptin they were able to eat anything and did not gain weight. researchers found that mice who did not produce Leptin ate uncontrollably and became fat, and normal mice who received a shot of Leptin lost weight. These discoveries seemed as if it were the magic bullet of weight loss, but experts have since learned that fat cells are much more complicated and difficult to manipulate than they once believed. Fat cells, according to the article, are difficult to eliminate because they are a part of the body's mechanisms for avoiding starvation. And, once you have fat cells they work overtime to maintain themselves and multiply, creating a paradox that the more fat you have more fat your body wants to make, and even when people do lose weight fat cells work overtime and the weight is harder to keep off. Thus, while researchers continue to look for strategies to help obese people lose weight, the basic standard holds true: to loose weight, you must eat less The textbook describes basic methods of scientific inquiry and experimentation, and these methods appear to have been used in researching the Newsweek article. The article describes tests done on mice to study the effects and purposes of Leptin. The researchers observed the behavior of the mice, developed a hypothesis about Leptin and its effects on obesity, predicting that Leptin and obesity were directly related. They tested the hypothesis and confirmed that Leptin was indeed important to the growth and development of fat cells. However, the experimental results did ...

My Successful Friend Idiom Story for ESL Students

My Successful Friend Idiom Story for ESL Students Here is a story about a successful friend who has had a fantastic career. Try reading the story one time to  understand the gist  without using the idiom definitions. On your second reading, use the definitions to help you understand the text while learning new idioms. Finally, youll find idiom definitions and a short quiz on some of the expressions at the end of the story.  Ã‚   My Successful Friend My friend Doug has really done well for himself in life. Im very proud of him and all of his achievements! We get together every year or so for a two or three-day hike in Oregon. Its a great time to reflect on how life is going, talk about old times and have new adventures. Let me tell you a little bit about Doug. It was clear from the very beginning that he was going places. He did very well in school, and everyone knew he was a smart cookie. Not only were his grades good, but he was also an outstanding athlete, as well as keeping his nose clean. Some accused him of being squeaky clean, but that didnt bother him. He wasnt going to let anyone rain on his parade!   After he graduated from college, he decided to go to New York. As the song goes: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere! Back in those days, New York was a hotbed of innovation. Doug was a product design specialist and had some great designs on tap. Unfortunately, he didnt immediately succeed. Things werent easy in the beginning, and it took him a while to learn the ins and outs of the Big Apple. In any case, it soon became to clear to him that he needed to make some brownie points with his director. He decided he would volunteer to create the presentation for a new product at the companys yearly dog and pony show.   The boss wasnt so sure, but the decision about who would make the presentation wasnt carved in stone. In the end, the manager decided that Doug would do a good job. Doug gladly accepted the challenge and decided to make quite an impression. He wasnt exactly going to reinvent the wheel, but he knew he could improve on past presentations. He felt that giving a great presentation would improve his standing in the company. The day of the presentation arrived, and, no surprise, Doug did an outstanding job. His presentation was informative, and he didnt blow any smoke. Where there were problems, he pointed them out and made suggestions as to how to improve the situation. Long story short, because of his excellent presentation the director realized that he was the genuine article. Doug started taking more and more responsibility at the company. Within three years, he had sealed the deal on the development of two of his best ideas. As they say, the rest is history.   Idioms Used in the Story be on a roll to have one success after another have a string of successes  Big Apple New York New Yorkblow smoke to fake or provide false information in order to gain somethingbrownie points extra good will  carved in stone not changeable  dog and pony show a presentation during which a companys best products are showngenuine article real true not fakego places to become successfulhotbed of something an area that is famous for a certain type of industry or successins and outs the details and inside information about a place or situation  keep ones nose clean to not make any illegal or unethical mistakeson tap readyrain on someones parade to criticize the success of someonereinvent the wheel to remake or invent something that already exists  seal the deal to make an agreement sign a contractsmart cookie very intelligent personsqueaky clean without fault not having problems or mistakes Quiz I think were ___________. All of our products are selling very well.This bag looks like its ______________. It doesnt look fake.We ________________ with our partners and start the project in May.The contract isnt ________________. We can still negotiate the details.Work with Anna and shell show you the ____________ of the company.I dont want to _________ your _________, but there are still a few problems.I think shell ______________. Shes very intelligent AND competitive.  I wouldnt believe that. Hes known for ______________.   Quiz Answers on a rollgenuine article  sealed the dealcarved in stoneins and outsrain on your paradego placesblowing smoke More Idioms and Expressions in Context Stories Learn more expressions using stories with one or more of these further  idioms in context stories with quizzes. Its important to learn and use idioms in context. Of course, idioms are not always easy to understand. There are  idiom and expression resources  that can help with definitions, but reading them in short stories can also provide context that makes them come more alive.

Frank Luntz Lections on Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values Essay

Frank Luntz Lections on Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values - Essay Example Similarly, there are certain aspects in the manner he makes his presentation which needs to be corrected so as to make it even better. Luntz is very keen on involving his audience in his presentation. He does not simply stand on the podium and give a speech. Rather, he occasionally asks questions which are very important in keeping the audience much engaged and alert. He interludes his talk with a number of very interesting questions which effectively connect with the audience. This is certainly an important part of making a successful speech and ensuring that the audience is motivated to listen further. In the same way, Luntz does not just stand in one place at the podium during his talk. He greatly moves around the podium and as he walks across and talks. This makes people very engaged and not bored. The focus in this regard is to ensure that the audience is not fixated and subsequently bored. In this regard, Luntz is very effective in the context of audience adaptation. In making his points, Luntz uses plenty of relevant examples which the audience can easily associate with. He does make his presentation full of theory and abstract reasoning. Rather, he talks about the daily things which his audience relates with. In a way, Luntz has a great sense of humour which helps in keeping the audience alert and greatly involved. This humour is not actually far-fetched but is drawn from the very situations which the audience experience daily. Luntz makes a comparison between the performance of Obama and McCain in the 2008 election campaigns. He attributes Obama’s success to the ability to easily connect and relate to the audience while making his speeches. On the other hand, McCain is presented as somebody who highly depends on the teleprompter and does not thereby clearly connect with his audience. Luntz maintains a proper eye contact with the audience and also greatly applies gestures in driving his points.     

Analysis of the problem of Employees stress in the work place Essay

Analysis of the problem of Employees stress in the work place - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses the causes, effects and solutions for employee stress at workplace. According to Dale Collie (2004), the major reasons for employee stress at workplace are due to the lack of; control, communication, appreciation, feedbacks (good or bad), clarity in policies, clarity in career prospects etc. He also pointed out mistrust, unfairness, office politics, uncertainties, random interruptions, treadmill syndrome (a state of too much or too little to do) etc as the other major factors which can cause stress at workplace (Collie, 2004). Current organizations are functioning at a rapid pace and in most of the times; these organizations fail to communicate properly with the employees. Lack of communication may often results in the development of ambiguity among the employees about their responsibilities, career prospects, organizational policies etc. Sometimes the employees may have too much workload whereas some other times they may have less workload. Too much workload may result in fear of failures which may increase the stress. On the other hand, less workl oad may also develop stress because of the concerns of the security of the employment. Imtiaz and Ahmad (n. d) have mentioned that â€Å"higher level of stress existed with no managerial concern for solution consequently lowering the employee performance; staking organizational reputation and loss of skilled employees† (Imtiaz and Ahmad, n. d, p.1). It is difficult to avoid stress completely; but it is possible to reduce it. Too much employee stress is not good either to the employer or to the employee. The employee may loss his productivity because of too much stress. Moreover, too much stress can cause physical and psychological problems to the employees. Stress can increase the blood pressure which can lead to heart problems, stroke, paralyzing etc. It can also cause psychological problems like depression, anxiety,

Business Economics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Economics Paper - Essay Example It was founded on July 1, 1981 by Sim Wong Hoo. Sim Wong Hoo started off initially as a small computer repair shop, developing memory boards. Later, customized PCs were developed. The success spurred Sim Wong Hoo on and his inquisitive nature asserted itself. He found himself asking questions related to technology and the world found itself a market leader for multi media products. After decades of innovation, Creative Technology Limited is considered to be a market leader in the market for entertainment, IT and multimedia products. It offers a wide range of differentiated products including MP 3 players, pocket cameras, webcams, X-Fi audio sound cards, earphones, headphones, headsets, keyboards and multimedia speakers. According to Creative Companies (2009), Creative Technology was initially located only in Singapore. At present it has headquarters in Singapore, subsidiary in USA and branches in Europe and Asia. The advent of technology has allowed the company to operate as a virtual online store as well. Creative Technology Limited believes in creating value for all of its customers; those who are technical savvy and for those who are not. The aim is to provide satisfaction to any one who enjoys entertainment. The core values of customization and innovation are embedded in their culture and reflected in their user-friendly and well designed products with multiple features. Hence, Creative, which is their brand name, is reflected in each of their products. Determinants of Demand Demand is the desire and willingness to purchase a product. It is affected by a number of factors. According to Bamford et al. (2002), the shifts in the demand curve are caused by the financial ability to pay, attitudes towards the products, the price, availability and attractiveness of substitute products, marketing,