The Worst Natural Disasters In History History Essay

The Worst Natural Disasters In History History Essay The Black Death had many long-term consequences. One was a series of vicious attacks on Jews, lepers, and outsiders who were accused of deliberately poisoning the water or the air. Lepers were singled out and persecuted. Anyone with a skin disease such as acne was thought to be a leper. They were, for the most part, exterminated throughout Europe. The attacks against Jews began in the south of France, but were most dramatic in parts of Switzerland and German areas with a long history of attacks on local Jewish communities. Jews were rounded up and burned or drowned in marshes. Sometimes there were attacks on Jews even where there was no plague. This persecution was often done, not solely out of religious hatred, but as a way of attacking the Kings or the Church who normally protected the Jews. Jews were often called the Kings property and it was a way for people to lash out at the institutions who they believe had failed them. Fewer Jews died from the Black Death, in part due to rabb inical law which called for a lifestyle that was, in general, cleaner than that of a medieval villager. It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of the European population died from the outbreak between 1348 and 1350. As many as 25% of all villages were depopulated, mostly the smaller communities, as the few survivors fled to larger towns and cities. The Black Death hit the towns and cities disproportionately hard. Some rural areas, for example, Eastern Poland and Lithuania, had such low populations and were so isolated that the plague made little progress. Larger cities were the worst off, as population densities and close living quarters made disease transmission easier. Cities were also infested with lice, fleas and rats, and subject to diseases related to malnutrition and poor hygiene. The influx of new citizens facilitated the movement of the plague between communities, and contributed to the longevity of the plague within larger communities. Bremen in Germany lost almost 7,000 of its 12,000 inhabitants. The prosperous city of Florence, Italy, may have lost 40,000 of it s nearly 90,000 inhabitants. Nearby Siena probably lost two-thirds of its urban population. Paris, the largest city north of the Alps, lost more than 50,000 of its 180,000 inhabitants. Most major cities were quickly forced to create mass graveyards where the dead could be buried. Many towns and villages lost almost all of their populations, and some eventually disappeared altogether. Larger towns declined drastically, as their workforces and merchant classes either died or fled. European population only began to grow again in the last decades of the 15th century. The precise demographic impact of the disease in the Middle East is impossible to calculate. Mortality was particularly high in rural areas. Many surviving rural people fled, leaving their fields and crops, and entire rural provinces are recorded as being totally depopulated. Surviving records in some cities reveal a devastating number of deaths. The 1348 outbreak in Gaza left an estimated 10,000 people dead, while Aleppo recorded a death rate of 500 a day during the same year. In Damascus, at the diseases peak in September and October 1348, a thousand deaths were recorded every day, with overall mortality estimated at between 25 and 38 percent. Syria lost a total of 400,000 people by the time the epidemic subsided in March 1349. In contrast to some higher mortality estimates in Asia and Europe, scholars believe the mortality rate in the Middle East was less than one-third of the total population, with higher rates in selected areas. The plague did more than just devastate the mediev al population. It caused a substantial change in the economy and society in all areas of the world. Economic historians have concluded that the Black Death began during a recession in the European economy that had been under way since the beginning of the century, and only served to worsen it. Europe had been overpopulated before the plague, and a reduction of thirty percent to fifty percent of the population should have meant less competition for resources. There was more available land and food, and higher wages. The great population loss brought economic changes based on increased social mobility, as depopulation further eroded the peasants already weakened obligations to remain on the land. In Western Europe, the sudden scarcity of cheap labor provided an incentive for landlords to compete for peasants with wages and freedoms, an innovation that, some argue, represents the roots of capitalism. The resulting social upheaval caused the Renaissance and even Reformation. In many ways the Black Death improved the situation of surviving peasants. In Western Europe, because of the shortage of labor, they were in more demand and had more power. Because of the reduced population, there was more fertile land available. However, the benefits would not be fully realized until 1470, nearly 120 years later, when overall population levels finally began to rise again. The death of so many people concentrated wealth in the hands of survivors. In many cases, those workers who remained alive could earn up to five times what they had earned before the plague. In the towns, plague had the effect of consolidating wealth somewhat, especially among the middle class. The drop in population was accompanied by a corresponding rise in per capita wealth. There where large increases in spending in the towns at this time. Profits, however, for property owners and merchants declined as they found themselves having to pay higher wages and getting less when they sold their products. Property owners tried to collect higher fees from tenant farmers as a way to increase declining incomes. Higher payments to landowners and legal limitations on the rights of some peasants were implied. Economic and political unrest occurred in most parts of Europe during the second half of the 14th century. The Black Death changed religion drastically. The old religious moorings were weakened. Many believed the wrath of God seemed to be raining upon earth. Symptoms of mass neurosis appeared. Some people sought refuge in merriment or luxury and self-indulgence. Others became preoccupied with grisly subjects. Inspired by Black Death, Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) is an allegory consisting of the personified death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave. They were typically with an emperor, king, pope, monk, youngster, and beautiful girl, all in skeleton-state. They were produced to remind people of how fragile their lives were and how vain the glories of earthly life were on the universality of death. Many frantically performed the Dance of Death in cemeteries, while others secretly celebrated the Black Mass, mimicking religion in a mad desire to appease the devil. The Black Death led to cynicism toward religious officials who could not keep their frequent pr omises of curing plague victims and banishing the disease. No one, the Church included, was able to cure or even explain the plague. In fact, most thought it spread somehow through air. This increased doubting of the clergy. Pope Clement VI reigned during the plague years in Europe during a time when the papacy was based in Avignon, France. This period in papal history, known as the Babylonian Captivity to its detractors, was a concurrent cause of the peoples lack of faith in the Catholic Church. The Avignon popes were seen as having subordinated themselves to the French monarchy and their ineffectiveness regarding the Black Death only compounded the common mans disillusionment. Extreme alienation with the church culminated in support for different religious groups such as the Order of Flagellants, which grew tremendously during the opening years of the Black Death angering church and political officials greatly. Flagellants practiced self-flogging to atone for sins. Its members wen t into the streets, two by two, beating each other with chains and whips. Flagellants traveled from town to town and were often looked upon as spreaders of the disease. The Black Death hit the monasteries very hard because of their close quarters and their kindness in helping the sick. There was a severe shortage of clergy after the epidemic cycle. This resulted in a mass influx of new clergy members, most of whom did not share the life-long convictions and experiences of the veterans they replaced. The result was abuses by the clergy in the years afterwards and a further deterioration of the position of the Church in the eyes of the people. The Black Death had an effect on the arts. After 1350 European culture in general turned very morbid. The general mood was one of pessimism, and the arts turned dark with representations of death. Both sculptors and painters began to portray the dead and dying, as well as images of death and the grim reaper. Peoples attitudes towards music and art changed as they began to see the depression surrounding them. The horrific nature of the Black Death was reflected in the realistic depictions of human suffering and carnage as well as the symbolic use of the skeleton. In Giovanni Boccaccios Decameron, a group of young people fleeing the plague takes refuge in a house outside of Florence where they entertain each other with colorful and irreverent stories. While these stories are often seen as a rejection of traditional medieval values, Boccaccio himself was critical of those who abandoned relatives and friends in the face of the plague. Like the artists of the day, Boccaccio continued to h old traditional social and religious values. The primary impact of the Black Death on painting and sculpture was the willingness of the newly rich to invest in religious art for churches and chapels. These contributions were often made in gratitude for being spared the plague, or with the hope of preventing future infection. The science of alchemy was also affected by the plague. As a specialty and method of treatment, it was considered the norm for most scientists and doctors prior and during the Black Death. However, after the plague had taken its toll, the practice of alchemy slowly began to wane. The citizenry began to realize that, in most cases, it did not affect the progress of the epidemic and that some of the potions and cures used by many doctors throughout Christendom and the Islamic world only helped to worsen the condition of the sick. Because the stench of decaying bodies from those who had succumbed to the plague was so noxious, many thought that the plague was spread via the atmosphere and so used pungent scents hoping to keep it away. Scents such as pine and rosemary were burned like incense or processed into oils in which handkerchiefs were dipped and placed over the mouth and nose. Church bells were chimed in a futile bid to ward off the plague. Merchants sold charms and spells to ward off the plague. Rumors that claimed a person had done or worn something particular to survive led to the newest fad to prevent or cure the disease. Liquor, originally made by alchemists, was commonly applied as a remedy for the Black Death, and as a result the popularity and consumption of liquor in Europe rose dramatically after the plague. The Black Death was a historical event of great magnitude, and one with many consequences. The indirect influences on history are significant and give rise too many speculations on what might have happened had there been no Black Death. The impact of plague was greater on England than any other European country. The Black Death struck such a blow to the already weakened feudal system that it lost much of its meaning within two generations and had entirely disappeared within 150 years. On the European continent, the system was more rigid and lingered on for centuries, giving way year by year in one country after another to monarchy and other forms of government. The Black Death greatly accelerated social and economic change during the 14th and 15th centuries. It also led to peasant uprisings in many parts of Europe, such as France (the Jacquerie rebellion) and in Italy (the Ciompi rebellion, which swept the city of Florence). One of the groups that suffered the most was the Christian church. It lost prestige, spiritual authority, and leadership over the people. The church promised cures, treatment, and an explanation for the plague. They said it was Gods will, but the reason for this awful punishment was unknown. People wanted answers, but the priests and bishops did not have any. Many of the clergy abandoned their Christian duties and fled. People prayed to God and begged for forgiveness. After the plague ended, angry and frustrated villagers started to revolt against the church. The survivors were also enraged at doctors, who said they could cure patients but did not. Soon after the last eruption of the Black Death, the views on children also changed. Although carrying on the family name was still considered important, the birth rate dropped. Children were considered not worth the trouble to rise since they would probably die anyway. It took four hundred years before Europes population equaled the pre-Black Death figures. The demand for agricultural workers ga ve survivors a new bargaining power. Workers formerly bound to the land could now travel and command higher wages for their services. In addition, people left rural areas and migrated to cities for higher wages. The economic structure of land-based wealth shifted. Portable wealth in the form of money, skills, and services emerged. Small towns and cities grew while large estates and manors began to collapse. The very social, economic, and political structure of Europe was forever altered. One tiny insect, a flea, toppled feudalism and changed the course of history in Europe.

Niche Theory and the Human Consciousness :: Psychology Essays

Niche Theory and the Human Consciousness Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again. -Lewis Carroll How do we create something new in this world? In an age where the issues of increasingly diminishing natural resources are available and the amount of consumption is growing, this question is becoming increasingly important. The niche theory gives us a partial answer. Mayr, in his book What Evolution Is tells us that a niche is a "constellation of properties of the environment that make it suitable for occupation by a species". Niches for organisms can not only be found on the topological surface of the earth (which in itself is a niche in the universe) but also inside already existing organisms, given the right conditions of adaptability. Examples of this would be to look at some viruses that inhabit living organisms and in some cases, are limited to specific species. The human consciousness seems to me to fit many of the characteristics of a niche, barring the obvious fact that it in itself is not an independent organism. Niches in my opinion can not only be limited to being filled by living organisms, but also by its bi-products. We define our consciousness as the fundamental characteristic that makes us human. Early philosophers defined out consciousness as "reason": our consciousness in fact gives reason and meaning for our existence and transcends the purely biological needs of the species. It is the motivation that propels us to seek knowledge and to "fill" ourselves. Our consciousness creates a second world – one in which humans are capable of examining and having a deep understanding of ourselves. We create a new place for ourselves to inhabit inside ourselves. The reason as to why or how it came about that humans developed a consciousness is still unknown. Why is it that humans (and potentially one or two other species) evolved to the point of being able to create this new inner world, new niche to inhabit while other species did not?

Congress of the United States Essay

The chronology of events during the revolution era are: Black Loyalists, A century of Law making for a new constitution, The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence of the United States, The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources-1745-1799, Letters of Delegates to Congress- 1774-1789, The Rochambeau Map Collection, American Revolutionary War – (dead link). The date for the Declaration of Independence is July 4, 1776, and the US constitution is September 17, 1778. Authority granted to the following government branches; Congress- article 1 states that all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. The President- article II states that the Executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term. Lastly is the section three of the judiciary that says; the judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. Framers’ rationale for a separation of powers in the US Constitution attempts to move beyond the general functional/formal debate by analyzing the views of the contemporary Court’s leading separation of powers functionalist, Justice White, and his effort to create a meaningful doctrine. Faction is the conflict within a nation. Madison in federal paper 10 addresses the question of how to guard against factions, groups of citizens with interests contrary to the rights of others or the interests of the whole community. Republic is an authority derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them, while Democracy is a government of the masses whereby authority is derived through mass meeting or any other form of direct expression. When we compare and contrast the political view of young Madison with mature Madison, it depicts that when he was young, he distrusts political parties and democracy; while he believed that government should reflect the will of the majority, when he got mature. Dahl argues that an individual voter in a state with a smaller population has greater weight than a voter in the more populated state. The reason is that both African Americans and Hispanics are substantially underrepresented due to their greater presence in high-population states as compared to in low-population states. Dahl likes the proportional representation of national elections using a parliamentary system. The advantages are; Parliamentary systems are characterized by no clear-cut separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, leading to a different set of checks and balances compared to those found in presidential systems, are usually have a clear differentiation between the head of government and the head of state, with the head of government being the prime minister, and the head of state often being the president. The disadvantages of parliamentary systems are; In Presidential system, executive branch in separately elected, meaning that there’s no direct responsibility, numerous, fragmented party system, fusion of powers, dangerous for young democracies. First-past-the-post election system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies. Having a right to vote has helped due to the expansion of various amendments like; universal suffrage which describe a situation in which the right to vote is not restricted by race, gender, belief or social status. Framers decide to use an electoral college for presidential selection because Electors are technically free to vote for anyone eligible to be President, but in practice pledge to vote for specific candidates and voters cast ballots for favored presidential candidates by voting for correspondingly pledged electors. The electoral college works by allocating each state a number of Electors equal to the number of its U. S. Senators (always 2) plus the number of its U. S. Representatives (which may change each decade according to the size of each State’s population as determined in the Census). A constitution can be amended by proposing an amendment and ratifying an amendment. The president can be removed from the office on impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High crimes and misdemeanors. â€Å"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is what Madison said and it is still true up to date. Intent bill of rights was meant to protect the state from the federal interference. The most important on e is the English bill of rights. The tenth amendment states that â€Å"The States should be left to do whatever they can do as well as the federal government†. It reassures the states that they would remain largely in charge within their own borders. Majoritarianism is a traditional political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a majority (sometimes categorized by religion, language, or some other identifying factor) of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society. The political theory of pluralism holds that political power in society does not lie with the electorate, or with small concentrated elite, but is distributed between a wide numbers of groups. Elite theory is a theory of the state which seeks to describe and explain the power relationships in modern society. It argues that a small minority, consisting of members of the economic elite and policy-planning networks, hold the most power no matter what happens in elections in a country. Yes, the judicial is independent of the other branches of the government and external forces. The reason for this is to prevent corruption. The first amendment is an absolute right. John Peter Zenger was a German-born American printer, publisher, editor and journalist in New York City Zenger’s trial was significant because he was fighting for the freedom of speech. Libel is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government or nation a negative image. Obscenity is a term that is most often used in a legal context to describe expressions (words, images, actions) that offend the prevalent sexual morality of the time. Business administration consists of the performance or management of business operations and thus the making or implementing of major decisions while public administration is the development, implementation and study of branches of government policy. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals, rather than through legislative statutes or executive action. Case law is that body of reported judicial opinions in countries that have common law legal systems. It includes courts’ interpretations of statutes, and also constitutional provisions and administrative rules. Statutory law is written law set down by a legislature or other governing authority such as the executive branch of government in response to a perceived need to clarify the functioning of government, improve civil order, to codify existing law, or for an individual or company to obtain special treatment. The U. S. House of Representatives and then the U. S. Senate are the one who declares war. Yes, the Congress has the authority to veto state legislation. One of the intentions of the founders in designing a new constitution was to ensure that the federal government had sufficient power to run the country. The Supremacy Clause is the common name given to Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, which reads: â€Å"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding†. Public administration is boring because it’s full of bureaucracies. Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. Politics is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. Politics consists of social relations involving authority or power, and refers to the regulation of a political unit and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.

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