Essay on The Civil War and Reconstruction

Essay on The Civil War and Reconstruction Essay on The Civil War and Reconstruction Essay on The Civil War and ReconstructionThe Civil War was the turning point in the US history, while the Reconstruction era has completed the achievements of the Civil War and changes launched by the war. At the same time, the outcomes of the Civil War and Reconstruction were disappointing to a large part of the US population, especially slave, whose liberation was one of the major drivers of the Civil War, but the Reconstruction granted them with basic rights and liberties. However, the position of African Americans did not change much. Nevertheless, the Civil War and Reconstruction have laid the foundation to the further development of the US as one nation but, at the same time, the Civil War and Reconstruction have laid the foundation to the further controversies between different social groups in the US society, such as the social tension between different racial groups.Causes of the Civil WarThe major cause of the Civil was slavery and attempts of its abolition triggered Southe rn states to protect their economic interests and traditional social order based on the exploitation of slaves. The slave labor comprised the core of Southern economy since slaves were employed on cotton plantations and other fields which allowed Southern states to boost their export of cotton mainly. In such a situation, the abolition of slavery would undermine the Southern economyFurthermore, the growing disparity between industrialized North and Agricultural South misbalanced the power of Northern and Southern states. Slavery prevented South from radical changes and rapid industrialization, while the North needed resources available on the South and wanted to export capital to continue the industrialization of the nation.Political struggle between abolitionist and proponents of slavery at the top political level laid the political ground for the Civil War. In this regard, attempts of Southern states to preserve larger rights and liberties that provided them with the larger autono my and sovereignty confronted the growing pressure from the part of the federal government that attempted to take broader control over states.Civil WarLincoln’s election as the President of the US triggered the secession of Southern states, who opposed to his policy of the abolition of slavery in the US. Southern states were unwilling to remain in the union with states opposing slavery, while the election of the President A. Lincoln meant the high probability of the abolition of slavery and Lincoln had started this policy since the beginning of his Presidency, as he took the office.In response to the election of Lincoln, Southern states declared the secession from the US. Hence, the attempts of the North to regain the unity of the nation resulted in the outbreak of active military actions in the course of the Civil War (Epperson 192). The major developments of the Civil War included the Naval war which resulted in the blockade of Southern states but the superior navy of North ern states.As the major ports were blocked, Southern states had grown exhausted and running out of resources essential for the maintenance of the struggle against the union forces. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the North attempted to undermine the situation in Southern states, declaring the abolition of slavery and freeing all slaves, as the Northern army advanced southward (Norton 159). In such a way, they gained the support of slaves, who were eager to set themselves free. The Emancipation Proclamation issued by Lincoln in 1863 guaranteed the liberation of all slaves in rebellious states.In addition, the Northern army recruited African Americans, who joined Northerners in their struggle against Southern states. Eventually, the South had proved to be unable to restrain the assaults of the North and the war ended up in 1865 after four consecutive years of struggle and battles (Watson 125). At this point, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that slaver y and policies conducted by the North in relation to slavery had had a considerable impact on the development and outcome of the war. The attempts to abolish slavery triggered the outbreak of the Civil War. During the War, Northern states undermined the economic situation in the South encouraging slaves to rebel against their masters in the South and join the Northern army which they perceived as the liberation army. In such a way, Northern states destabilized the situation in Southern states, undermined their economy and used slaves and their liberation as an important part of their strategy that led them to the overall success in the war. In such a situation, they used their technological superiority and naval blockade to complete the defeat of the South and finally declared the official abolition of slavery nationwide as the result of the war to show that the war had reached its major goal that actually became the primary cause of the war.Outcomes of the Civil War and Reconstruct ionFurthermore, by the end of the war, the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was implemented and granted slaves with freedom making the Emancipation Proclamation norms universal and permanent. In such a way, the Thirteenth Amendment brought freedom to slaves nationwide and formally abolished slavery in the US.At first glance, the major goal of the Civil War was achieved but the abolition of slavery alone was not enough to integrate former slaves into the US society and make them a part of the nation. Instead, further legislative changes were needed since slaves should have equal rights and opportunities to exercise their freedom (Watson 175). Otherwise, they would have changed nothing but their formal status to freemen.In response to the urgent need of changing the legal and socioeconomic status of former slaves, the US Congress implemented the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution in 1868 and 1870 respectively (Epperson 188). These amendments formally guaranteed African Americans with equal rights and liberties compared to white Americans and eliminated the existing semi-slavery which persisted shortly after the Civil War, when slaves were freed but had not got equal rights and liberties and their legal status was uncertain.At the same time, the Reconstruction had failed to bring the consistent improvement to the socioeconomic status of former slaves. African Americans had equal rights and liberties just like other citizens of the US but they did not have economic opportunities to enhance their position in the society. For instance, they did not have opportunities to find a good employment and high wages because they were low-qualified labor force but the main problem was their desperate poverty, which forced them to agree to work for next to nothing simply to survive (Norton 182). In such a situation, they turned out to be in a desperate position and held the lowest socioeconomic standing in the US society.Nevertheless, the lib eration of African Americans still resulted in the tightening competition in the labor market, especially in the South which suffered from considerable economic losses. In fact, the Civil War had disastrous effects which had affected the development of Southern states of the US for a long time (Epperson 211). The export of cotton was almost ruined by the end of the war. The liberation of slaves undermined the economy of South because landowners could not exploit the free labor force. Instead, they had to hire freedmen or poor whites. In such a situation, Southern states needed a lot of time to recover.However, the poor economic situation in the South caused the social unrest, racial discrimination and oppression of African Americans, whom white Americans kept treating in the South as mere commodities. In such a situation, the whites opposed to the liberation of slaves. To ensure the protection of rights and liberties of African Americans and defeat any attempts of reviving Confedera te mood in the South, Lincoln introduced Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865 which was the government agency aiming at the protection of rights of African Americans. The Freedmen Bureau helped African Americans to get freedom and find employment and urged former slave owners to liberate their slaves and rebuilding their plantations to create jobs for African Americans.However, the post-war resistance of Southern states was so strong that the government had to deploy the army to make land and slave owners to liberate slaves and protect their basic rights and liberties. In such a way, the government attempted to protect African Americans and helped them to improve their position in the society but these efforts were insufficient and short-running. More important, in response to such protectionist government policies, white Southerners launched their organization which aimed at the maintenance of the white supremacy and ongoing oppression of African Americans as second-class citizens. For instance, Ku Klux Klan emerged during the Reconstruction and cases of lynching of African Americans in Southern states of the US were quire frequent that justified the deployment of the army to protect African Americans shortly after the Civil War.  At the same time, the abolition of slavery, the liberation of slaves and their integration into the US society were not the only goals of the government policy during the Reconstruction. In fact, one of the main goals of the government was to regain control over all states and preserve the US as one nation, as a united country. In such a situation, even the deployment of the army in Southern states during the Reconstruction had dubious goals (Richardson 164). Along with the protection of African American population, the army maintained the authority of the federal government and minimized any risk of the attempt of the new rebel which could outbreak easily, if there were no government troops that could oppress any rebellion fast.Moreo ver, the focus of the federal government on needs of African Americans and their integration into the US society was short run. In fact, as soon as the federal government had managed to take control over all states and establish socioeconomic and political stability, the government had started to complete the Reconstruction and refuse from any additional policies, government agencies and other strategies that required additional resources to protect rights and liberties of African Americans and their socioeconomic position in the US society (Norton 188). In fact, by the end of the Reconstruction, millions of African Americans were left on their own with their economic and social problems, stumbling through their life in desperate poverty and their position in the US society had not changed much since the Civil War.ConclusionThus, the Civil War and Reconstruction contributed to consistent changes in the US society among which the abolition of slavery was the main change that took pla ce in the US in that time. However, the abolition of slavery, as the primary goal of the Civil War, brought African Americans freedom but not equal rights, liberties and opportunities. In fact, their rights and liberties were expanded as they got equal rights and liberties after the implementation of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution (Watson 215). However, efforts of the federal government to provide African Americans with jobs and better life, they still remained in a disadvantageous position by the end of the Reconstruction, as the Freedmen’s Bureau folded up its operations and the federal government distanced from the support of African Americans. At the same time, the American Civil War and Reconstruction had achieved successfully another goal, which was not declared openly. The war and Reconstruction completed the profound economic change abolition the outdated mode of production, slavery, and expanding opportunities for the rapid industrialization of the entire nation, from the North to South. In addition, the war and Reconstruction had enhanced the role of the federal government, its authority and decreased the sovereignty of people and autonomy of states.

Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Example

Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Example Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay What is marketing? There are many definitions to what marketing is, of which one is Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives.Marketing is therefore much more than just advertising selling. The marketing concept requires commitment to customers satisfaction, by providing what they want and need..Within market research, there are two types of researches used. There is primary and secondary research. Primary research is gathering information from the consumer directly. Research can be done in various type of questionnaires i.e. telephone, internet and face-to-face. A supermarket as tescos conducts face-to-face questionnaire when customers come into the store and those of who have joined the club card get sent email questionnaires. Whereas secondary information is using external companies information already gathered, although theres a drawback which is that the research can be old hence not reliable.What the customer needs and wants is found out in market research, it then goes to the marketing mix. Marketing mix includes product, price, place and promotion, formally known as the 4Ps which are key concepts in marketing. These are a very important part of every firms marketing strategy and are also interlinked with some aspects of market research.The product/service is what the company is selling or offering to a market for use or consumption. The product could be tescos selling its own brand bread or service could be tescos car insurance. Tescos, as the leading supermarket in UK, offers a large variety of products, from household goods as groceries and toiletries, to furniture, finance and insurance.Tescos has launched Green products in which it offers healthy eating, including fruits and vegetables at lower prices. It also has clear labelling to provide customers with nutritional information e.g. guidelines for daily amounts.Pricing is a key element in a firms success the reason being that firms have to price in accordance to the market and to what the customers are willing to pay. The loss of revenue is important because if the production costs are high and the company isnt selling the product it will lose revenue.Tescos is known as the cheapest but good quality service around. It has a price check in which majority of its products are cheaper then its competitors, also allows its customer to see products and its prices compared to its competitors which is independently collected.The real success to Tescos is in its efforts in promotion. Promoting is communicating with the potential customers and trying to persuade them to buy their product. Tescos reaches its potential customers through television, newspaper and the internet. Tescos club card is a type of marketing promotion. It gives the customer the opportunity to earn points e very time they go shopping at Tescos. In return they can spend their collected points on reducing their shopping bill or receive vouchers for hotels etc. Also tescos promotes green products which involve environmental friendly services as re-cycling bags, mobile phones etc and also by promoting healthily eating e.g. buying fruits and vegetables. They have promoted this by offering green club card points which are same as the normal points however more points are offered as it is helping the environment. This is very successful with its public relations as well as its customers.Tescos try to attract customers by having advertisements sent through the post in form of leaflets stating which products are on offer; they send this across by having the offers in big red, bold lettering to grasp the customers attention. Also they try to get customers for the future as children in the sense they have all the kids products on the lower shelves of the supermarket so that they can see them. Als o tescos has delivery service in which they would deliver shopping to customers homes that order online or even in store; this is popular with its customers.Another aspect important to marketing is place. Tescos is the largest chain in the UK and is aiming at the global market. They have stores all around the UK so that their customers dont need to travel miles to go to their local store. Tescos has about 1897 stores including tescos express and extra, also they have hundreds of stores world wide, and planning on opening more stores in USA.Also with online shopping, tescos products and services are available all over the UK and also many other countries worldwide.Overall, marketing is very important for the business. The basic role of marketing is the need and wants of its customers, the marketing concept. With investing in marketing the business can go from strength to strength as they will know what is required by the public and can provide it. Especially in the modern world as th ere is so much available to the public that the marketing department need to react quickly and get up to date. To conclude we can say that every business needs a marketing department to develop and promote their products. Without this they would not be able to supply the customer with its needs and wants. As a business, it needs profit to put into its marketing activities and most importantly its survival. Without the profit and a marketing department it could lead to a businesses downfall.

Will China revalue its currencyCauses of devaluation Mechanisms Essay

Will China revalue its currencyCauses of devaluation Mechanisms Implications - Essay Example It follows the laws of the fixed exchange regime where the currency is devalued and revalued at will. For years, China maintained a fixed exchange rate; allowing to appreciate at its will. It has, now and again, manipulated its currency to gain a competitive advantage in the global trade market; and it has allowed China to maintain supreme dominance over the world markets. Nonetheless, the country has been facing immense pressure since a decade to float the currency in the open market and allow the currency to appreciate to a free rate. China did allow appreciation for a while, but at a gradual pace with interruptions. (Murphy 2009) The world continues to ask: will China revalue its currency? The essay will provide justifications for both sides; it will provide the reasons behind the devaluation, the mechanisms used as well as implications on an undervalued Yuan. The essay will end with a strong conclusion followed by recommendations. At present, economists believe that the Chinese c urrency is still undervalued by 15 to 20 percent. They opine that the revaluation will benefit the global economies and help reduce the increasing trade deficits. However, the Chinese politicians believe that the revaluation will hurt their economy and growth; as well as their political control. (Johnson 2013) Causes of Devaluation In the domestic sphere, analysts, in the Chinese circle, believe that revaluation will make their exports expensive compared to today. This consequential drop in Chinese exports will lead to several immediate factory shutdowns; while many others will shift to the low wage economies such as Vietnam and Sri Lanka. (Johnson 2010) This will upset the economy as a whole especially the working class. The resulting unemployed from the layoffs and shutdowns in the remote areas will not easily be absorbed into the economy. This will create anti government sentiments and result in isolated mass incidents around China. (Johnson 2010) â€Å"Any significant appreciat ion of the renminbi will erode China’s export competitiveness overnight and impact the livelihood of tens of millions of workers1,† states an editor at China Daily media agency. Likewise, Chinese politicians strongly believe that the currency reforms, pushed by the US and other global powers, are only means to slowdown its economy and contain growing Chinese power. These politicians refer to similar US policies towards Japan in 1980s. Japan stills reels from the effects of the real estate bubble burst caused by the forced US policies. Therefore, the Chinese are eager not to repeat the same episode. (Lee 2010) (Murphy 2009) Similarly, China thinks alike all the economic powers of the world. It first thinks about the domestic affairs especially employment figures before working towards rebalancing of the macroeconomic indicators around the world. In the aftermath of the financial crisis 2008, the Chinese lost 20 to 40 million jobs related to the export oriented industries . This forced Chinese to put an to the revaluation thoughts for some time. (Lee 2010) A research conducted by the Chinese authorities on the streets showed that a percent appreciation in the value of Yuan will lead to a percent decline in the tiny profit margins of the small export oriented companies. Economists opine that an undervalue Yuan is critical for sustaining the Chinese growth; therefore, all the intimidating by the world leaders will not change the Chinese policy. Revaluation will benefit China in the Long Run Other economists believe that the revaluation of Yuan will benefit China in the long run. It will do more good than harm. Economists know that, at present, the Chinese economy is heavily depending on exports and fixed investment; and not on the local consumption. It must revalue its