Pre-Columbian Period - 9302 Words

[edit] Pre-Columbian period Main article: Pre-Columbian The earliest known inhabitants of what is now the United States are thought to have arrived in Alaska by crossing the Bering land bridge, at least 14,000 30,000 years ago.[10] Some of these groups migrated south and east, and over time spread throughout the Americas. These were the ancestors to modern Native Americans in the United States and Alaskan Native peoples, as well as all indigenous peoples of the Americas. Many indigenous peoples were semi-nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers; others were sedentary and agricultural civilizations. Many formed new tribes or confederations in response to European colonization. Well-known groups included the Huron, Apache Tribe, Cherokee,†¦show more content†¦[edit] French colonization See also: New France and Fort Caroline New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to Spain and Britain in 1763. At its peak in 1712 (before the Treaty of Utrecht), the territory of New France extended from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The territory was divided in five colonies, each with its own administration: Canada, Acadia, Hudson Bay, Newfoundland and Louisiana. Also during this period, French Huguenots, sailing under Jean Ribault, attempted to found a colony in what became the southeastern coast of the United States. Arriving in 1562, they established the ephemeral colony of Charlesfort on Parris Island in what is now South Carolina. When this failed, most of the colonists followed Renà © Goulaine de Laudonnià ¨re and moved south, founding the colony of Fort Caroline at the mouth of the St. Johns River in what is now Jacksonville, Florida on June 22, 1564. Fort Caroline was destroyed in 1565 by the Spanish under Pedro Menà ©ndez de Avilà ©s, who moved in from St. Augustine, founded to the south earlier in the year. [edit] British colonization In 1607, the Virginia Company of London established the Jamestown Settlement on the James River, both named after KingShow MoreRelatedComparing Evidence of Both Norse and African Presence in the Pre Columbian Americas2401 Words   |  10 PagesIn pre- Columbian America there is evidence to show that there were both Norse and African presence present before the arrival of Christopher Columbus’ maiden voyage in 1492. The presence of the Africans was first stated by Christopher Columbus himself in his voyage diaries, which he claimed was told to him by an Indian on his second voyage. This was later solidified by Portuguese seamen who also told of African navigation to Columbus. On the other hand the Nordic Movement into pre- Columbian AmericaRead MoreArt : The Art Of Art1631 Words   |  7 PagesAmericas. This type of art refers to all art produced until the late 15th century, and occasionally till the very early 16th. The end of this period of art i s notably marked by the untimely arrival of the notorious western explorer Christopher Columbus’ landing in the Americas. The European discovery and exploration, or conquests of the Americas pre-Columbian art flourished all throughout both the northern and southern continents. This for many of the cultures was their primary form of visual expressionRead MoreKey Concept 4.1 Globalizing Networks Of Communication And Exchange1703 Words   |  7 Pagesbenefitted from a large stream of sugar and precious metals. This change began to introduce new economic activities that contributed to the rise of the West and many African kingdoms. 4.1.I How did the global trade network after 1500 CE affect the pre-existing regional trade networks? (Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, trans-Saharan, Silk Routes)After a global trade network was developed, focus shifted away from regional trading networks, therefore leading to less dependence on them. However, these routesRead MoreThe Mayan Civilization And The Maya Empire1677 Words   |  7 PagesMexico, Belize and western Honduras; and the southern Maya highlands, in the mountainous region of southern Guatemala. The earliest Maya settlements date to around 1800 B.C., or the beginning of what is called the Preclassic or Formative Period. The Middle Preclassic Period also saw the rise of the first major Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmec’s. Like other Mesoamerican peoples, such as the Zapotec, Totonac, Teotihuacà ¡n and Aztec, the Maya derived a number of religious and cultural traits–as well asRead MoreHistory And Development Of Mesoamerica1934 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"America’s Pre-Columbian populations evolved into highly developed communities w hich by the time of the European invasion and conquest in the 16th century had engendered some of the world’s most highly evolved civilizations, in both North and South America.† Module 4 states that â€Å"Shortly after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492-1493, other Europeans made their way to various parts of America, but in the process they unwittingly brought Eurasian disease pathogens to which America’s Pre-ColumbianRead MoreIndians And The Columbian Exchange1487 Words   |  6 Pages The Columbian Exchange is a huge exchange of goods and ideas between the old world and the new world. The old world is considered Europe, Asia and Africa and the new world is considered America. Their colonies started to trade with each other and that’s when they formed the Columbian Exchange. Many countries were involved in this trade, including China, Africa and Italy. The exchange of the new ideas, traditions, food, religion and diet changed cultures everywhere. The Natives gave and receivedRead MoreEssay on Pre-Columbian civilizations1533 Words   |  7 PagesMexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl-speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of Mà ©xico (Encarta). Continually dislodged by the small city-states that fought one anothe r in shifting alliances, the Aztecs finally found refuge on small islands in Lake Texcoco whereRead MoreMaya Ceramics Essay1018 Words   |  5 PagesThere are many different types of styles and cultures that affect the work of ceramics. One type of culture that was very interesting was the Pre-Columbian Maya culture of Mesoamerica. The natural environment that the Mayans lived in offered a wealth of materials and ideas to give works of beautiful art. â€Å"The Maya used ceramics every day, small cups for drinking vessels, tall cylinders for storing and pouring ritual beverages, and plates for all sorts of delicious foodstuffs, from tamales to corncakesRead MoreThe Languages and Cuisine of Mexico Essays863 Words   |  4 PagesMayan culture. Mexican food and culture of this time aimed at complete nutrition and nourishment of the body by providing it with all the necessary minerals and amino acids. Food Culture of Pre-Columbian Mexican Period The immediate period before European conquest of the land was known as the pre-Columbian era in the history of Mexico. The diet at this time was also significantly influenced by entirely native ingredients. Corn was again considered the staple diet of Mexicans, and formed a partRead MoreFlora And Fauna Of The Columbian Exchange1307 Words   |  6 PagesFlora and Fauna in the Columbian Exchange The voyage undertaken by Christopher Columbus to attempt to find a more direct route to India would fail in it s goal. Columbus would not reach India, instead he would land on the banks of a world entirely unknown to Europeans of the time period. His â€Å"discovery† of this New World would have far reaching consequences for both the world he found, and the world from which he departed. This new landmass would prove to be incredibly important in world affairs

The Impact Of Special Role Quilts On The Underground Railroad

To understand the special role quilts may have played in the Underground Railroad, we first have to understand the life and times of the people who lived during the years the railroad was running, approximately 1830-1862. These times were politically turbulent and impossible to summarize in a few brief paragraphs. This article should be considered an overview only. In the first year of the US Census, 1790, the United States of America consisted of 3.8 million people including 694,000 slaves scattered along the 16 states of the east coast. The issue of slavery was a thorny one for the new government. The 40,000 slaves in the northern states of CT, NJ, NY, PA and RI worked alongside free white men in cutting, burning, and clearing bush for cultivation. Southern slaves were vitally important to the economy of the southern states, which depended on the production of labor-intensive crops such as sugar, coffee, cacao, tobacco and rice. Southern states agreed to join the United States of America only on the provision that they were allowed to keep their slaves. Congress was well aware of the both the importance of southern crops to the economy of the United States and the importance of slave labor to the production of these crops. As the country expanded westward, provisions were made for slavery to continue. Yet as each new area was opened to slavery, the voices of abolitionists (anti-slavery proponents) got louder. As a compromise, An Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves

The Federal Program for Labor Management Free Essays

Employment has changed in the past decades because the world has changed. We’ve entered a new era, an era where the work ethic of employees, and more often the thinking and ethics of employers are many times questioned. The Federal Program for Labor Management has started as a way to provide for employees’ representation through chosen representatives, in collective bargaining with respect to personnel policies, practices and matters affecting working conditions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Federal Program for Labor Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Also, it was created to ensure that employees who want to exercise this right and take an active part in this process have the chance to do so. The contemporary challenges in labor relations and human resources management include the care for employee rights, disciplinary policies and procedures, alternative dispute-resolution procedures, organizational ethics in employee relations or governmental regulation of labor relations. Not less important issues regard the labor relations process, structures, functions, and leadership of labor unions, the bargaining process and trends in collective bargaining, the labor agreement and administration of the labor agreement. All these form a complex discipline with the sole aim to make work relations more efficient and satisfactory for both parts. Labor relations are an important topic of human resources management. The labor agreement is a contract between a organization’s management structures and the its labor force, represented by unions, concerning aspects like wages, benefits and working conditions. Is comes in the form of written policies and procedures. The goal of this document is to create equitable work relations, in order to assure the workers’ social protection, preventing or diminishing the conflicts of interests and avoiding strikes. All aspects of the labor-management relationship are dynamic. The agreement has the role to bridge the gap between the interests of both sides. The terms of the contract are enforced by the steward (a representative of the union), acting like a policeman, constantly on the lookout. The labor agreements can be conceived at different levels: a single plant, a branch, a company or even nationally, each with its own pro’s and con’s. A master agreement is conceived for an entire company or branch, covering multiple site locations. There are several stages of a labor agreement to be discussed. First of all, the contract has to be negotiated. This is usually done once a year. Once a settlement has been made, the document has to be well understood by both parties. These requires detailed analysis of the clauses on both sides. The next step is administration. This is also the process of getting ready to renegotiate. The management must do everything in its powers to assure a reasonable and accurate administration of the contract, showing flexibility at the same time. Last but not least is the evaluation process, upon any renewal of the terms. Since most people are routine-oriented and tend to do in the future the same things they have been doing in the past, it is particularly important to look backward. Learning from history, in other words. This may guarantee successful planning of future actions. In the following, I will analyze each stage, individualizing the for and against arguments to having a master labor contract. The agreement is the written image of a give-and-take relationship. Within a company, the management faces the workers in a confrontation for the most benefits. The management has to satisfy diverse needs of the various audiences it must serve: the executive branch, the shareholders, the labor force, the public at large etc. The union’s major interest is to represent the employees. There are also dissimilarities between management goals and management structure and the aims and methods adopted by the unions, resulting in labor-management differences. Management usually wants to provide for a flexible work force that can respond quickly to mission needs. Labor, on the other hand, wants stability, security, and job protection for the worker. Management strives to stimulate competition among the workers and to identify the most efficient workers while the union works for the adoption of common work rules and methods of compensation or reward which tend to eliminate competition. What is, in this case, the better choice – to have separate union contracts for different plants or to have one master labor agreement? The negotiation table for a labor agreement resembles a battle field. Each participant fights for his own interest, throwing in all the weapons. Each side needs as much power as it can get. From a manager’s point of view it would be more advantageous to negotiate separate union contracts, as it faces a less powerful opponent. Power is determined by a number of factors. In the case on unions, size is the most important (size determined by the number of members). This is why with separate contracts the management may have an upper hand. But, on the other side of the coin lies a great expense of resources. Time and money are wasted when it comes to separate negotiations. However, the purpose is to maintain â€Å"industrial peace†, meaning that whatever the results of the negotiations, they must meet both sides’ exigencies. At the very heart of it, the labor agreement represents written policies and procedures created to ensure functionality and satisfaction. This is why negotiations are problem-centered; more time is spent on day-to-day problems than on defining abstract principles. Given the fact that current problems are usually very specific to a certain situation, it means that separated labor contract would have the advantage of dealing adequately with issues every time. A master agreement is in certain circumstances too general and irrelevant, leading to a variance between contract and practice. Although trying to cover all grounds in a written document is a lost cause, the contract has to be the foundation of the labor-management relationship, thus variances should be minimized. The aspects that escape the consideration of the negotiators have to be as few as possible. Another situation that may be encountered is a request for an increase of the wage at one of the plants. In the case of a master labor contract this would be resolved at a central level resulting in a waste of financial resources. But if the contracts were negotiated separately then the request could be met at an individual level. This would save money to the company. There are also other points to consider when deciding for a level of negotiation. Separate plants are located in different areas, characterized by different socio-economical factors. The area’s degree of development may influence the discussions, providing an extra set of arguments to one of the sides. The high unemployment rate, for example, turns the scale in favor of the employer, while a low one represents a vantage point for the union. Environment, the degree of education, the minimum wage, as well as other issues, add extra weight to one side of the balance. An investigation is required (such as an environmental analysis), in each particular situation, in order to determine the better choice. Regarding the administration of the contract there are a few aspects worth to be taken into consideration at this point. Separate contracts allow the management to deal with problems one at a time, whereas a centralization of the process reduces the degree of mobility and may even result in financial losses or crisis situations. It is true, no doubt about it, that it is easier to conduct one labor contract agreement for a number of plant locations. However, it is possible for the union to strike, closing down all the plants. As opposed to this undesirable situation, if you have separate contracts, the union can only strike one plant at a time, giving the management the time required to resolve the situation. Management must not take a unilateral action without first considering whether it has an obligation to discuss the action with the union. Matters of legitimate concern for the employees include: personnel policies, practices and working conditions. In these cases the management must provide the union an opportunity to negotiate. So, whenever the company wants to bring change into any one of these fields it has to consult the union and it the chance to express its position. In this case it is somewhat difficult to negotiate separate contracts. Bringing union representatives from each plant to the same negotiation table would require great synchronization and it would be a logistic nightmare. Also, to ease a smooth relationship with the employees, the management must inform them even concerning the changes that don’t have to be negotiated (retained management rights not subjected to negotiation). Another way management can help assure union understanding and, thus, facilitate efforts to properly administer the agreement, is to distribute brief explanations of at least the key parts of the agreement in order to avoid misunderstandings. Jointly prepared articles can be included in the installation bulletin and union paper. Similarly, labor and management can work together in the preparation of special bulletins explaining the contract as the situation demands. All these actions are easier to perform and less demanding in the case of a master labor agreement. Worker representation and participation in management, through the union, could plausibly increase productivity in one or both of two ways. In the first place, it could serve as a no pecuniary incentive for workers by reducing the monotony of work and enhancing the individual worker’s dignity and self-esteem. As a result, job satisfaction would be increased, and increased job satisfaction is allegedly conducive to higher productivity and lower unit costs. These would be even more true in the care of separate labor contracts. When the employees are represented by people they know or have a chance to meet and work with they will feel personally involved – an underlying bias in favor of â€Å"insiders†. This is also a way to increase employee loyalty. The evaluation process helps creating a better contract. In order to evaluate, the management has to communicate with the union members. Failure to â€Å"talk to the troops† is a problem that has been encountered with increasing regularity in the recent past in labor-management relations. Communications should take place regarding all actions affecting the work force. The management’s task is to make sure that the communications process works for, not against, management. There are two different aspects to be taken into consideration: the functional ones and the psychological ones. On a functional level, the communication process would be easier to sustain in the case of a master agreement, due to the fact that the management would deal with only a few union representatives. However, in the case of separate labor agreements, the communication would be more efficient because it would be more personal. The companies tend to be organized from the top down while unions tend to be organized from the bottom up. This is why the functional and the efficiency aspects of communication do not coincide in the two perspectives. How to cite The Federal Program for Labor Management, Essay examples