John Adams Essays -- essays research papers

David McCullough. John Adams. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. 656 pp. David McCullough was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933, and educated at Yale where he graduated with honors in English literature. McCullough lives in West Tisbury, Massachusetts with his wife, Rosalee Barnes McCullough. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He is the author of Truman, Brave Companions, Mornings on Horseback, The Path Between the Seas, The Great Bridge, and the Johnstown Flood. He has received the Pulitzer Prize (in 1993, for Truman), the Francis Parkman Prize, (this award promotes literary distinction in historical writing, and is presented annually for the best book in American history). He has also won the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and is twice winner of the National Book award, for history and biography. McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House, as part of the White House presidential lecture series. He is also one of few private citizens to be asked to speak before a joint session of C ongress. David McCullough has been an editor, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television- as host of Smithsonian World, The American Experience, and numerous documentaries including The Civil War and Napoleon. John Adams is a biography about the second president of the United States. McCullough originally set out to write a dual biography of Adams and Jefferson. David McCullough has successfully incorporated the life of Thomas Jefferson into this biography. The idea was to explore their interlocking lives and careers. The two men first met as fellow patriots united in the cause of independence in the mid-1770s. As fellow diplomats in Europe in the 1780s they became close friends. In the 1790s they became political rivals and didn’t speak to each other for more than ten years. They reconciled in their retirement years, and then launched into one of the great exchanges of letters in American history. They died on the same day- July 4th, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration of Independence. Though this began as a dual biography it quickly became an Adams biography. McCullough realized that after a year and one half of research that Adams was in every respect a more fully developed, three-dimensional, warm-blooded, and compelling character than Jefferson. McCullough wants his ... ...ams’s. I learned so much about the relationship between Abigail and John Adams. Their life together was a true love story. I also learned the contrasts between Adams and Jefferson. Jefferson was tall, lean, and youthful. Adams was short, stout, and eight years Jefferson’s senior. Adams kept no record of accounts, Jefferson, on the other hand, kept meticulous records, but the greatest difference between them was that Jefferson avoided conflict. He could not bring himself to argue with anyone, ever. In contrast, Adams embraced difficulty, conflict, and struggle. After reading this book I came away with a better understanding of the civil war, slavery, and other crucial issues facing America at that time. John Adams has given me an insatiable appetite to learn more about our founding fathers, I feel that I can never know enough about them. This was an absolutely fascinating book to read. I loved it! For me this was the history lesson that I needed. I enjoyed this book from a plain readers point of view; moreover I enjoyed the history lesson in rare form. David McCullough’s John Adams was, by far, the best written and most interesting book that I have ever read. (word count 1543)

Relationships In Different Cultures Essay

Every culture has their own definition of family relationships. Most family  relationships stem from the concept of marriage. Different types of marriages are  accepted all around the world. Some marriages are based on civil aspects, others are  based solely on religious aspects, and most are based on both. There are two main  types of marriages throughout the world which are monogamy and polygamy. Each type  of marriage has been around for thousands of years and both the past and present  show that there are both advantages and disadvantages of each marital practice.   The most widespread form of marriage with the longest history is Monogamy.  Monogamy is the form of marriage where one man marries one woman. Ancient  Greeks, Ancient Romans, Jews, Christians, Indians, and tribes such as the Hopi and  Iroquois have regarded monogamy as the most ideal form of marriage. There are quite  a few advantages in monogamous marriages. There is typically better understandin   gand communication between the man and wife, more focus on the children leading to a  more stable family most of the time and it is better economically suited for most people.  Since there are only two spouses, monogamy has been shown to offer the highest form  of love and affection and sex relations are more regulated. Disadvantages of  monogamy aren’t often mentioned since its practiced by the majority of people in the  world but things can get complicated between the two spouses if abuse or adultery gets  involved. Even so, both the woman and man can divorce freely if they wish. The form of polygamy is the second prominent concept practiced throughout the world. Polygamy is when both the man and woman have freedom to have additional  mates. The historical Montagnais Tribe believed in pure polygamy. Before the French  took them over and converted them to European beliefs, both woman and men were  allowed to have multiple partners. They were a very mature culture where jealousy did  not exist and instead, they channeled their energy into loving every single person within the tribe and each child was considered everyones’. Woman were actually seen as  above the men in a number of ways. Leacock describes how the woman create a very  complimentary relationship between spouses: The Montagnais woman is far from being a drudge. Instead she is a respected member of the tribe whose worth is well appreciated and whose advice and counsel is listened to and, more often than not, accepted and acted upon by her husband. (39) Leacock then goes on to explain how each gender has â€Å"special labors† that allow them  to create equilibrium within their culture and relationships.   Polygamy does have two forms as well. There is polygyny which is when one  husband has several wives and polyandry where one wife has several husbands. In   each situation, the single gender individual is seen as the superior one and the multi  plespouses are below them. Although not everyone believes in polygamous practices,  Joseph mentions many advantages and disadvantages that come along with sharing  her husband with 8 other woman. She states, † It enables woman, who live in a society  full of obstacles, to fully meet their career, mothering and marriage obligations; it  provides a whole solution.† On the other side she says, â€Å"there is a longing of intimacy  and comfort that only he can provide† (A31). This proves that in any practice of  polygamy there are advantages as in having more freedom, but sometimes all of the  emotional, mental, sensual, etc. needs may not be met. My ideal relationship is probably very similar to other girls of my age. All I’ve ever  wanted is one faithful monogamous relationship in my lifetime. Everyone has a soul  mate and hopefully one day I will find mine and we can develop not only a relationship,  but also a friendship built on true love, trust and honesty. From that, we can raise  children in a loving, supportive, and healthy although somewhat discipline environment  while loving my spouse unconditionally and getting the same in return. An equalitarian  relationship would be ideal where both my husband and I pursue careers and have  equal say on housework and finances. Relationships have truly evolved over time. Christian beliefs have always  suppressed woman through marriage. We are shying away from ideas such as, â€Å"woman  should learn in quietness and full submission. [God] does not permit a woman to teach  or to have authority over a man; she must be silent† (Timothy 2.11). Thankfully now in  modern times, woman now have much more of a say in marriage and our society is  slowly accepting equalitarian type marriages. Monogamy and polygamy both offer  strengths and weaknesses within ones lifestyle, but one thing is for sure; no relationship is ever perfect.

How the Deaf Communicate in a Hearing World Essay

Imagine what life would be like with the inability to hear. Try to envision watching television without sound or watching an inaudible movie. There is a silence that has way of making the busiest scenes seem still. Now try to imagine a lively area filled with lots of laughter, roaring music, and a handful of birds chirping away. That imagery paints a scene of the plain difference between a hearing world and a deaf one. One world is capable of hearing and the other involves no incoming source of sound whatsoever. Understanding how deaf culture and how the hard of hearing work and live is important in order to comprehend the reasons behind why they do the certain things they do such as stare at others for a long period of time or the reason†¦show more content†¦They did not know how to react to the deaf that is until Plato, a Greek philosopher, wrote on the account of sign language in Ancient Greece which then resulted in a spark in the interests of other philosophers, writers , and artists (Mirzoeff). On the other hand, Aristotle, another Greek philosopher, who has been known as one who first recorded a claim about the deaf, theorized that people were only able to learn languages if the spoken language was heard implying that deaf people were unable to learn effectively or at all and may as well be uneducated (Jay). It is important to know and realize that the cause of deafness was not just because of genetics, but because of diseases which then resulted in the side effect of hearing loss (Mirzoeff). Meningitis, measles, or mumps were common diseases that would cause the loss of hearing back in the early modern period (Mirzoeff). In past times, an issue that occurred most often was how to respond to the deaf in terms of education. They most certainly were not able to hear which meant that they also would not be able to speak clearly or at all; many questioned how they would be able to comprehend others or communicate with them in that kind of setting. There were little to no schools that educated deaf children until Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a man with great intellect, decided that what he wanted do in life was to contribute to the deaf world (â€Å"Thomas H. Gallaudet†). Gallaudet, founder of GallaudetShow MoreRelated Teachers Options Essay1716 Words   |  7 Pagesteachers of deaf children in a variety of situations. In teaching deaf and hard of hearing children there is such a wide range of children, each with their own abilities. Each child also has a different family situation to take into account. Some children come from deaf families, some they are the only deaf family member, and some have no support from their families because they are deaf. There are also students that have family members that make an effort to learn how to best communicate with themRead MoreThe Acronym For A Child Of A Deaf Adult1561 Words   |  7 Pagesof A Deaf Adult. A person who was raised by one or more deaf parents or guardians. CODA’s have to learn how to grow up at a very early age. These children often serve as interpreters for their parents, thus becoming the communication link between their parents and the hearing world. Many feel the frustrating need to interpret for their parents because they had no choice. Without them interpreting, their parents would not be included in the surrounding environments. CODAs not only learn how to communicateRead MoreThe Communication Barriers Of Deaf People972 Words   |  4 PagesOur world has changed so much, especially for Deaf people. Less than a century ago, the ability to text and email weren’t available, and communication between Deaf and hearing people seemed much harder. Deaf people became weary of interactions with hearing people, for fear of being scammed or cheated. People who were hearing and knew sign language were sparse. Love Is Never Silent shows the communication barriers and how, for a Deaf couple, they relied on their hearing daughter to be their ears inRead MoreA Journey Into The Deaf World Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesbook â€Å"A Journey into the Deaf-World†, by Harlan Lane, Robert Hoffmeister, and Ben Bahan, is about the different people who are considered deaf: hard-of-hearing, deaf, and CODA. People who are hard-of-hearing are people who don t hear well; people who are deaf lack the power of hearing since birth; you can be born hearing and throughout time lose some or all of your hearing sense. People who are CODA (children of deaf adults) are often signing because their parents are deaf and CODA’s often are helpfulRead MoreInside Deaf Culture, By Carol Padden And Tom Hump hries1228 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the world, there are many different cultures that play a variety of roles in various communities. In the 1980s, many people began to recognize Deaf culture and the unification of the Deaf community. Language plays an essential role in the development and unification of a culture or nation. Through the use of American Sign Language (ASL), a new type of culture emerged that embraced the Deaf community. According to Carol Padden and Tom Humphries, in their novel, Inside Deaf Culture, â€Å"We usedRead MoreEssay On Giving A Voice To Those Who Are Deaf929 Words   |  4 PagesGiving a Voice to Those Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing What is the purpose of this project? Provide a summary of what will be accomplished and who will benefit. The main purpose of this project is to educate community members, service providers and coordinators on the use of basic American Sign Language (ASL). This will be accomplished through a community based training that will teach the basics of the ASL language and usage. This is a valuable course that will benefit the entire communityRead MoreInclusion Of The Deaf Counseling Center886 Words   |  4 Pages In reviewing several videos from the Deaf Counseling Center, I have the utmost respect for counselors who are in training to learn ASL and have a desire to work with individuals with hearing loss. Honestly, I was struggling in watching the interpreter sign what she wants to express about psychotherapy, and the counseling process for individuals with a hearing loss. I found out as an upcoming vocational rehabilitation counselor having difficulty finding signs for simple words or interpretationRead MoreFinal Exam Questions : 139 Deaf Culture1172 Words   |  5 PagesFinal Exam Questions-CDDS 139 Deaf Culture 2. Describe the ways in which Deaf culture is different from American culture in terms of communication and sharing of information. Deaf culture is different from American culture in a variety of ways. First off, the way these two cultures communicate is quite different. In Deaf culture, individuals communicate using ASL while in American culture individuals communicate mainly in English. Secondly, American culture is an individualist culture where sharingRead MoreDeaf Again By Mark Drolsbaugh Essay1560 Words   |  7 PagesIn Mark Drolsbaugh’s educational and witty autobiography â€Å"Deaf Again†, he describes his journey as a child born to deaf parents, losing his own hearing in his childhood, and navigating both hearing and deaf worlds while trying to discover his identity. In the first chapter, Drolsbaugh tells the story of his own childbirth. His mother Sherry’s childbirth experience was traumatic, to say the very least. Her needs and comfort were disregarded repeatedly by doctors and nurses alike, simply because theyRead MoreReview Of Wonderstruck By Brian Selznick Essay1508 Words   |  7 Pagesfiguring out exactly how the two protagonists and stories are connected. However, it is apparent that one characteristic both protagonists share is that they are deaf. They are also both wishing for better lives and the sense of belonging. The first story is about a 12 year old boy named Ben. His story starts in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in June 1977. He is grieving the death of his mother and is longing to find his father. Ben was born deaf in one ear but later loses his hearing completely after a