How To Preserve Homemade Crystals

Once you have grown a crystal, you probably want to keep it and possibly display it. Homemade crystals are usually grown in an aqueous or water-based solution, so you need to protect the crystal from moisture and humidity. Types of Crystals to Grow Alum CrystalsBlue Copper Sulfate CrystalsAmmonium PhosphatePurple Chrome Alum CrystalsBismuth Crystals Once your crystals are grown, there are steps you can take to preserve them: Preserve the Crystal in Plastic Polish You can coat your crystal in plastic to protect it from humidity. For example, you can buy a kit that allows you to embed your crystal in lucite or other forms of acrylic. A simple, yet effective method of preserving many crystals is to coat them with a few layers of clear nail polish or floor polish. Be careful using nail polish or floor wax because these products may dissolve the top layer of your crystals. Be gentle when applying the coatings and allow each coating to dry completely before adding another layer. Preserving a crystal by coating it with acrylic or another plastic also helps to protect the crystal from being scratched or shattered. Many crystals that are grown in water may be either brittle or else soft. Plastic helps to stabilize the structure, protecting the crystal from mechanical damage. Set Crystals in Jewelry Remember, polishing your gem doesnt turn your crystal into a diamond! Its still a good idea to protect your crystal from direct contact with water (e.g., treat is as water-resistant and not water-proof) or rough handling. In some cases, you may be able to set a protected crystal as a gem for jewelry, but I advise against using these crystals in rings or bracelets because the crystal will get knocked around more than if it was set into a pendant or earrings. Your best bet is to either place your crystal in a bezel (metal setting) or even grow it in the setting and then seal it afterward. Dont set toxic crystals for use as jewelry, just in case a child gets hold of the crystal and places it in her mouth. Crystal Storage Tips Whether or not you apply a treatment to your crystal, youll want to store it away from common sources of damage. Light:Â  Many crystals react to heat and light. Keep your crystals away from direct sunlight. If you can, avoid exposure to other sources of high energy synthetic light, such as fluorescent bulbs. If you must light your crystal, try to use indirect, cool lighting. Temperature: While you might guess that heat could damage your crystal, did you know cold is dangerous, too? Many homegrown crystals are water-based, so if the temperature dips below freezing the water in the crystals could freeze. Because water expands when it freezes, this can crack a crystal. Cycles of heating and cooling are especially bad ​since they cause the crystal to expand and contract. Dust:Â  Its easy to keep dust off of a crystal than to try to remove it, especially if the crystal is fragile. Keep your crystal in a sealed container or else wrap it in tissue or store it in sawdust. All of these options will help keep your crystal from accumulating dust and grime. If you do need to dust a crystal, try to use a dry or very slightly damp cloth. Too much moisture could cause you to wipe away the top layer of your crystal along with the dust.

Persuasive Essay On Social Media - 1531 Words

In the world of social media people from all over the world are able to connect. However, is this connection really good? Are strangers being able to view your every move ok? Why not social media? You as a social media user are in charge of what your audience is able to see, but at the age of 12 are you really capable of understanding this power and controlling it? Adolescents under the age of 18 should not be allowed to have a social media account, where they can encounter potentially dangerous and life threatening situations such as bullying, child molestation, and sex trafficking. The innocence and immaturity of a learning and growing child prevents them from understanding the potential online dangers they can encounter, such as†¦show more content†¦There was one boy that had commented calling her ugly names, my daughter responded sticking up for herself and calling him names, and he responded stating he was going to â€Å"explicit kill her.† I clicked on this boys profile and literally this 12 year old had a picture of himself dressed in gang paraphernalia and posing with a real hand gun. I was stunned and in shock. Our reason for not allowing her to use social media prior to this had primarily been because of the potential dangers and exposure to inappropriate things that lurked on social media, but this was a whole other element we hadn’t really thought to consider. My daughter was upset and felt horrible and worried. I couldn’t believe how a matter of hours on a simple website had made my daughter so upset and had affected her so much. After crying with her and talking it out, her dad and I decided she would not be allowed to have a social media account period. This moment was eye opening for us as a family, and an example of the dangers social media has. Had I not realized my daughters difference in behavior it could have ended worse. There have been several reports over the years of teenagers who were cyber bullied on soc ial media and pushed to the edge, being made to feel that they were worthless, and that no one loved them or cared about their life, and in the end pushed into killing themselves. Kids today use social media as a wayShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Social Media1026 Words   |  5 Pagescomputer, scrolling through social media. Most people believe that social media has more benefits than consequences. Social media has become something that is a part of our generation’s lives. As our access to these websites increases, many other problems arise. While there are also some benefits of our use and accessibility of the internet, there are also many downfalls. Loss of time, lack of privacy, and cyberbullying are examples of issues we commonly face by using social media. Countless hours ofRead MorePersuasive Essay On Social Media1398 Words   |  6 PagesWhen you correlate social media with a tech-savvy young adult, you can assume technology takes up most of our lives in the not so healthiest way. One of the ways we communicate with technology is through social media. Social media is a platform used for interaction towards different audiences. In addition However, social media has countless different platforms in today’s world. It is an essential part in people’s lives. Shaping the future, social media continues to become the innovation as time goesRead MorePersuasive Essay On Political Social Media1598 Words   |  7 PagesThapa 0 Thapa 0 Sanjaya Thapa Sherry Sharifian Govt 2305 26th October 2017 Political social media Political social media Daily, elected leaders turn to social media to communicate, promote or update status of their daily activities. They should however adopt best practices as they do this to avoid getting themselves into trouble. One such practice is to take time to think and formulate thoughts before posting anything. They should also have strict policies in place to govern how they get word outRead MoreWhat Is Public Relations ( Pr )?1492 Words   |  6 Pagesconnection with media, communication, news, advertising, marketing and even other fields, meaning that with the evolution and development of the society, science, technology and media, the definition of PR is changing as well. Nowadays, the prevalence of information age and the rise of the new media age may become key factors of defining what is PR and how PR is applied. Shirley Harrison who is a famous person in the history of PR, she claims that â€Å"Public relations is a persuasive activity, undertakenRead MoreCritic al Analysis: Social Media Essay1292 Words   |  6 PagesAnthony Moye ENGL 101 Sec. 5 Fall 2012 They Say / I Say Essay 1 Critical Analysis: Social Media Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and even MySpace, because we are here to change the world so â€Å"follow† me. I have read the writings of Malcolm Gladwell and Dennis Baron to analyze and write about. They have both presented different points and ideas on the significance of social media and how it has affected our world past and present. Gladwell’s essay, â€Å"Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted†Read MoreAnalyzing Persuasive Techniques in Old Spices The Man Your Man Could Smell Like Commercial1492 Words   |  6 PagesFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of English Language and Literature Analyzing Persuasive Techniques in Old Spices â€Å"The Man Your Man Could Smell Likeâ€Å" Commercial Student: Mia Sarić Course: English Language 1 Course Instructor: Irena MeÃ… ¡trović Ã…  tajduhar, M.Ed. Ac. Year: 2012/2013 This essay covers persuasive techniques used in the video commercial for Old Spice deodorant, as well as the messages that lie in the heart of the very commercial. The essay will try to explain the techniquesRead MoreThe Problem Of Fast Food Restaurant1309 Words   |  6 PagesI wrote my first assignment which was a persuasive essay for English 1010 I had prior experience with this. This experience came from prepping for the ACT writing portion. I am able to properly make a stand point and argue. â€Å"Alternatives are present at varies food chains and at popular food chains. â€Å"But where, exactly, are consumers- particularly teenagers supposed to find alternatives?† Teenagers in this century are heavily controlled and impacted by media. They are easily able to find out whatRead MoreThe Ideas About Human Communication784 Words   |  4 Pagescommunication. People use persuasion every day whether they realize it or not. It can be negative and attempt to manipulate or dec eive. It can also be positive and come in the form of professional persuaders like clergy or motivational speakers. In this essay, I will attempt to persuade my readers of the direct and undeniable connection between human communication and persuasion. Let’s first explore the topic of human communication. There are three essential parts that make up the human communicationRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1392 Words   |  6 PagesNowadays, Internet and social media plays an important role in our life. You just ask someone such as a child, a teenager, or a old person; you ask a question â€Å"Do you know or have facebook?†, and almost people say yes. Following statistic, Facebook has 845 million users at 21st century; Facebook has an appreciable attraction for almost people. Most people have a smartphone in the hand to access social media easily, and it easily helps contact with family, friends, colleagues, and another relativesRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1392 Words   |  6 Pages Nowadays, Internet and social media plays an important role in our life. You just ask someone such as a child, a teenager, or a old person; you ask a question â€Å"Do you know or have facebook?†, and almost people say yes. Following statistic, Facebook has 845 million users at 21st century; Facebook has an appreciable attraction for almost people. Most people have a smartphone in the hand to access social media easily, and it easily helps contact with family, friends, colleagues, and another relatives

Prisons and Jails Free Essays

The government has imposed punishment as a means to control crime. There are four key justifications for punishing criminals: retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and rehabilitation (Seiter, R. P. We will write a custom essay sample on Prisons and Jails or any similar topic only for you Order Now , 2005). These four justifications serve as the goals of the United States correctional system. The other side of retribution can be simply stated that when an offender commits a crime, he must be punished for his actions. Retribution serves as a means to keep the general public safe. (Seiter, R. P. , 2005). In so many ways offenders are punished due to the crimes they commit, you are locked up in a cell and you stay there until you go in front of the judge and receive a sentence if found guilty. Now there are fines you must pay for certain crimes, community service is another consequence for a crime you have committed. No matter what the crime you will have to suffer the consequences for them. Incarceration is the most common example of punishment in the correctional system, but the death penalty and lesser penalties such as probation are also designed to be punitive. Perhaps the most obvious goals of the correctional system is to punish those who are found guilty of crimes. In theory this is suppose to serve as a deterrent against one repeating criminal activity and as an example to others of why criminal activity should be avoided. It is unclear how well the modern U. S. correctional system achieves these goals and whether the money invested in the correctional system might be better spent. The main question is does punishment deter crime at all? Retribution is an act of moral vengeance which society makes the offender suffer as much as the suffering caused by the crime committed (Macionis, 2006). People have a choice whether or not to do a crime. How Does Our Correctional System Rehabilitate Offenders? In the early 1900’s rehabilitation had emerged as the primary theory of corrections and shaped every aspect of correctional policy and practice. Then in the 1960’s and 1970’s rehabilitation was attacked for not having evidentiary standing and in the resulting turmoil. Rehabilitation has been shown to help offenders to not re-offend where as the other theories have shown to have little to no effect on the reoccurring crime rate and some in fact have been shown to have the opposite effect in increasing the reoccurring crime rate. On any given day there are more than seven million Americans under the supervision of the correctional system which includes approximately 1. 5 million inmates incarceratedin jail, 4. 2 million on probation and over 828,000 on parole according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The statistics are staggering considering according to the U. S. Census the United States population is 307,006,550 (U. S. Census 2010). So, that means that approximately for every one hundred people two are incarcerated. Also according to the Disaster Center in 2009 31,916,949 crimes were committed in the United States. Giving inmates the opportunity to deal with the reason for entering prison and prison life, will promote alternative ways to handle negative behavioral issues (Hagebrook Zgoba). The added medical and counsel care, in addition to requiring extensive pre-release counseling will help prepare for constructive life outside of prison. Many inmates enter prison with a mental illness and many are unaware of the illness until they are imprisoned (cdcr. ca. gov). It would be very beneficial to treat the illness head on, at that point. Which Method Is More Effective? I feel that rehabilitation would be a more effective way in reducing crime for these reasons. When an inmate has access to options to help themselves change for the better and re-enter the outside world again, then they are willing to make a difference. Now Therapy is another form of rehabilitation needed to help deter individuals from committing future crimes. Some examples of therapy include drug therapy to those offenders addicted to drugs and psychological counseling to those offenders who grew up in an abusive household. Rehabilitation can help to solve the problem of overcrowding in most prisons. The criminal population continues growing, as the death penalty has been abolished, and the state would need to spend more on facilities to house criminals. Education is one of the ways in which this positive change was affected. Education works in two levels to successfully rehabilitate the criminal. I do see that in criminal rehabilitation, prisoners are given opportunities to increase their content knowledge base. This is essential as studies show that many inmates do not have basic grade school education. Is will also impede their success of acquiring jobs, thus many had to turn to a life crime. Rehabilitation also ensures that inmates are socially well adjusted. Psychological assessments are being meted to test for mental or physical disabilities that led to their incarceration in the first place. I personally do know a few ex cons and from what they went through in prison to get help for a better life out here in society was real nice to see, I haven’t seen them even step back to the old ways they had of committing crimes, and I always hear them tell me that they just want to keep their Freedom! So I do what I can to help them stay on the right track, and if they even think that it will make them happier to back track. I just throw up what they will be missing out on in this world, and how hurt their family members will be without them daily. So with that said I for sure think that Rehabilitation is the best for our convicts these days. How to cite Prisons and Jails, Essay examples

Social Determinants of Health HIV

Question: Discuss about theSocial Determinants of Health for HIV. Answer: Introdcution Health is right of every human being on earth. Quality of health determines the development of society, class differences. The access to good health and the prevention technique determines the health equity. It needs to spread all across the world. (WHO, 2016). Social factors are also a determinant of health apart from other infectious and non infectious diseases. HIV is considered to the determinant for the fault lines in society. (Bateson Goldsby, 1988). This fault is depicted by the unequal status of women in societies. In South Africa, AIDS depicts the poor condition of women who cannot take benefit of the social freedom. (WHO, 2007). The incidence of AIDS is increasing in women all around the world. (Pomeroy, 2008). From around 20 years the number of women patients suffering with AIDS has been approximately half of 40 million AIDS patients across the world. The number is higher in the developing countries. (Quinn Overbaugh, 2005). Social inequalities are a major risk in women suffering from HIV in USA. (Zierler Krieger, 1997). Social determinants of health of women to HIV infection include gender, economic status, cultural, race, social justice and sexual norms. (Dworkin Blankenship, 2009). In the sub Sahara region of Africa, around 60% of women are suffering with HIV. Due to the gender based inequality the chance of getting HIV infection is more in women these days. The CDC(2012) report suggests that the chances of HIV infection is 20% higher in women of colour compared to the other women in USA. As per some studies the women of colour across the world have a greater possibility to acquire AIDS compared to the white women. (Gibbs et al., 2012). Social, physical environment, health care services and other major factors are mainly responsible for the inequity related to health in women. This causes hindrance in women access to preventive measures. CDC has developed upstream and downstream strategies to deal the social determinants of health. The upstream social determinants include the physical and social environments and the downstream determinants include the medical care, personal resources and health behaviours. (Woolf Braveman, 2011). The social values which prevent women and girls from receiving sex education are a major drawback affecting the women from receiving the required knowledge to avoid the risk of acquiring the disease. The lower status of women in society which make them sub ordinate to men and prevent them having control over their own life and important decision related to it. Lower economic status is also a major factor which is affecting the health many women across the whole world. The developing countr ies in Africa, Asia and part of South America have a higher population living under poverty which is an important factor in making the women more vulnerable to the disease. The gender inequality affects them from getting the proper health care from the health care organisations. The discrimination in the society on the basis of sex prevents the women to speak openly about sex. This gives rise to unequal sexual dynamics which affect the health of women. The responsibility of handling the household work and taking care of their children prevent them from going to the health care centres. Also the fear of positive test detection and the related effects on the family because of the diagnosis stops them from getting the care and treatment. The physical and sexual violence towards women is causing a risk of getting the infection. Trauma and cuts are common in case of forced physical relation which causes the chances of HIV infection through the sores. The repeated sexual abuse and fear of saving relationship with their partners force the women to be a host for the sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. This is also a refraining factor for women from taking th e test to detect the test. The fear that their partner will abandon them or might cause physical harm to them let them suffer with the problem alone and prevent them from getting the right care. The problem is more of concern in the sex workers. The risk of infection is higher in these women. The discriminatory treatment with these women related to their work and the violence against them increases the risk factor. (ARCH, 2016). The lack of knowledge and usage of the prevention methods to avoid the STIs and HIV increases the risk among women. The inability to ask for protection use by the partners increases the risk. This is more common in the developing countries where women feel shy and are less expressive about their problems. The ignorance and lack of information about their health and related diseases is letting the infection spread its root in more number of women. Stigma related to HIV is acting as a major hindrance for the use of effective measures against the infection. Not only is this issue affecting the health of women and destroying their family life, social involvement, economic condition but also acting as a hurdle for them to access the health facilities and get tested for the infection. (Kalichman Simbayi, 2003). To control the infection from spreading it is important to have the number of infected people and determine the outcome of issues like stigma on a greater level in the society. It is acting as challenge for the health care workers to spread awareness and the prevention facilities to the one in need. (Duffy, 2005). Poor financial condition for women also makes them in getting involved in multiple sex relationships without proper protection. The social discrimination and the lack of culturally competent services and health care providers, ethnic differences and the language barrier all act in creating the barriers for the eff ective applications of the method to control the risk of disease especially in case of women. The working and living environment also heightens the risk. Lack of proper facilities, unemployment and unhygienic living conditions make them more vulnerable. Now looking for the influence of these determinants in women across the world, one can find that the condition is worse in the developing countries compared to the developed countries. Women from the sub- Saharan Africa living in the rural areas are at a higher risk to HIV infection. The disease has affected African continent very badly. The effects of the disease are causing a poor health, economic and social discrimination in the people. In case of women it is observed that around 60 % of AIDS victim in the Sub Saharan African region are women which show a high number compared to the women from USA where there 25% of women got infected by AIDS in 2008. (UNAIDS WHO, 2009). The higher rate of transmission in the African women can also be because of the ethnic, social, financial and legal factors. The dependency of women on their male partners for their survival is observed in some African cultures which prevent them from having control over their life decisions. The number of death is higher for women in Africa which is creating imbalance in the population ratio. It is estimated by some of the scientists that the number of male aged between 15 to 44 years will increase compared to the women counterparts by the year 2020. (US census bureau, 2004). The death of their partners due to AIDS poses a responsibility of handling the family and meeting their demands which is affect the financial conditions of the family. While in USA the number of women patient getting HIV infection also shows a higher number of African women compared to the American women in the year 2008 to 2011 reported by CDC. The increase use of drugs in women is a rising a concern of getting HIV infection in American women. The government is promoting awareness about the disease by implementing strategies and programmes. The public health advocacy groups aims at imparting sexual education to the citizens to control the risk of HIV infection. The education about sex and related infection is must for the women who are at risk. The approach required for combating these social determinants which are affecting women all across world involves raising awareness among the people to accept the HIV infected people as a part of the society. The need of health care instructors and professionals is important. Volunteers are required who can reach out to the remote areas and promote awareness and provide the necessary preventive measures to the women belonging to diverse cultural background. Structural interventions are required to change the social determinants which are increasing the risk of HIV infection in women. The structural interventions aim at developing method and strategies which can deal with the health issues in the light of social, economic and political environment. This will help in spreading the preventing method on a mass level and saving the lives of many people. The policies should focus on the needs of the women and should be designed accordingly to help them from falling prey to the deadly infection. References Commision of social determinants of health. (2007). Geneva: World Health Organisation. Retreived from https://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/ Bateson, M Goldsby, R. (1988). Thinking AIDS: the social response to the biological threat. MA:Addison-wesley. World health organisation commission on social determinants. (2007). Achieving health equity: from root causes to fair outcomes. Geneva, Switzerland: World health organisation. Retrieved on 23 October 2016 from https://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications./2007/intrim_statement_eng.pdf. Pomeroy, C. (2008). Social determinant of HIV risk in women. AMA journal of ethics, 10(7).457-464. Quinn, T. C Overbaugh, J. (2005). HIV/ AIDS in women: an expanding epidemic. Science,308(5728). 1582-1583. Doi: 10.1126/science.112489. Zierler, S Krieger, N. (1997). Reframing womens risk: social inequalities and HIV infection. annual review of public health, 18. 401-436. Doi: 10.1146/annurev.pubhealth.18.1.401. Gibbs et al. (2012). Combined structural interventions for gender equality and livelihood security: a critical review of the evidence from southern and eastern Africa and the implications for young people. Journal of international AIDS society, 14(1). 1-10. Centers for disease control and prevention. (2012). Capacity matters: strengthening the HIV prevention workforce to implement high impact prevention. Retrieved on 23 October 2016 from https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/caapcity_building_year_2012.pdf Woolf, S. H., Braveman, P. (2011). Where health disparities begin: the role of social and economic determinants and why current policies may make matters worse. Health affairs. 30. 1852-1859. ARCH. (2016). The social determinants of health. HIV/AIDS resources community health. Retrieved on 23 October 2016 from https://archguelph.ca/social-determinants-health Kalichman, S. C Simbayi, L. C. (2003). HIV testing attitudes, AIDS stigma, and voluntary HIV counselling and testing in a black township in Cape Town South Africa. Sex Transm Infect, 79(6). 442-447. Duffy, L. (2005). Suffering, shame, and silence: the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Journal of the association of nurses in AIDS care, 16(1). 13-20. Joint united nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the world health organisation (WHO) 2009 AIDS epidemic update. (2009). Retrieved on 23 October 2016 from https://data.unaids.org/pub/report/2009/JC1700_epi_update_2009_en_pdf. US census bureau. (2004). The AIDS pandemicin the 21st century. Washington DC, USA: US government printing office. Retrieved on 23 October 2016 from https://www.census.gov/ipc/prod/wp02/wp02-2.pdf.

Post-Romanticism In Music free essay sample

Effects rejection of romantic style, form, philosophy by late 19th early 20th Cent. composers. Major works, impressionism, atonality, innovations. This paper is a study of the consequences of romanticism in Western music. Much of the work of 19th century composers was influenced by a sweeping desire to express emotion through music, explore varied forms and lengths of composition, and link music to the other arts, especially literature. The romantic movement encouraged composers to find their individual voices, both in the work they wrote and in the way they supported their art. It released music from the formality of classicism and laid the groundwork for many elements that are now established in modern music, from the variable size of the orchestra to the appreciation of the conductors importance to performance and interpretation. As the century ended, however, composers began to believe that the romantics had fully explored the limits of major-minor tonality. We will write a custom essay sample on Post-Romanticism In Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In moving beyond what they saw then as

Problem Solving and Data Analysis KeySAT MathConcepts

Problem Solving and Data Analysis KeySAT MathConcepts SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips SAT Math is divided intro three domains: Heart of Algebra Problem Solving and Data Analysis Passport to Advanced Math It's a good idea to get really familiar with what's going to be on the test, where it was derived, and what the SAT is really testing. This post will focus on one domain- Problem Solving and Data Analysis. This is an opportunity to get cozy with these concepts, and with the overall tapes of information that test-makers are looking for. Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems are all about applying your math knowledge to practical situations and looking at actual statistics instead of abstract, theoretical scenarios. Basic Information There are 17 questions in this domain (out of 58 total math questions). They aren't labeled or otherwise indicated on the test- you're never told which type of question you're working on. There are no Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems on the no-calculator section. You will always be permitted to use your approved calculator for questions from this domain- though you may not always need it. You will receive a subscore on a scale of 1-15 on this domain. There will be both multiple choice and grid-in questions. You'll be dealing with both single-step and multistep problems; sometimes, it's just a matter of reading the data and parroting it back, while other problems require a bit more manipulation of the numbers. General Concepts The test-makers want to know that you understand math thoroughly enough to use your skills in real-world settings. Quantitative reasoning is also crucial; you should be able to work with numbers and draw conclusions about what they imply. You’ll be working with a lot of numbers. Real-World Applications You should be able to build a representation of a problem. If a scenario is described to you, you should be able to model it mathematically by describing it with expressions and equations. You should know to consider the units involved. If there happens to be a shift of units (from feet to miles, or something like that), you should account for that as you calculate. You should keep track of the practical meaning of quantities. You're going to be representing real values with variables: don't forget what those variables represent. Also, be sure you understand how a change in one of these variables or quantities affects what's happening in the equation. For example, in a line ($y=mx+b$) with a positive slope (or value of $m$), increasing $x$ will also result in an increase in $y$. Data and Statistics There are a lot of graphs, charts, and tables that could be covered on the test. You should be capable of analyzing one-variable data in bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and box-and-whisker plots- as well as two-variable data in scatterplots and two-way tables. In other words, you should be fluent in reading these various representations of data. You should be able to describe overall patterns. You'll have to identify positive and negative trends. You should be able to distinguish between linear and exponential growth. Specific Skills There are a number of skills that you'll want to be handy with on the day of the exam. In this section you'll find a discussion of these skills, including what they are and what they look like in action. In fact, let’s hope these skills aren’t all that new! Statistical Analysis The measures of center are arithmetic mean (average) and median. If they can't be calculated from what's given, you may still need to draw some conclusions about them. Even if you can't find the actual number, there may be a question about what possible values are, or how the values compare to another set of data. Outliers typically affect the mean, but not the median. The measure of spread to know is standard deviation. You've got to have the basic theory, but you won't need to calculate the exact value. You should be able to look at two sets of data and see which set is more spread out- that is, which has the greater standard deviation. Insofar as the precision of estimates is concerned, everything depends on the variability of the data and the sample size; smaller variability combined with a larger sample size makes for estimates that are more precise in terms of the actual population. Another tidbit of interest you should know is that randomization combats bias. You should, in context, be able to work with margins of error, which are affected by sample size and standard deviation. Confidence intervals should also be taken into account. The SAT always works with confidence intervals of 95%. This doesn’t mean that 95% of the population is necessarily described by the figure that’s been derived, just that we can be 95% certain that the descriptive figure that’s been reached is accurate. When analyzing the relationship between two variables, remember, correlation is not causation. If subjects for a sample are selected randomly, we can generalize to the entire population reasonably well. If subjects are randomly assigned to test groups, we can reasonably speculate about cause and effect. Otherwise, though, we’re out of luck. You should also be able to evaluate reports to make inferences, justify conclusions, and determine the appropriateness of data collection methods. Take a look at this problem: The correct answer here is (C). We know that removing one very high number from the set is not going to affect the median- the middle three values are all 12, so we know the median will still be 12, even if the middle of the data is shifted over one. The mean will shift somewhat if we don’t include the 24-inch measurement, but there are 20 other data points that anchor the mean at a relatively consistent value if any one value is removed. The range, however, will change from $24-8=16$ to $16-8=8$. The range gets cut in half if we remove the 24-inch measurement! That’s the measure that will change the most. Mathematical Models The domain of the SAT that we’re examining gives special attention to mathematical models. You must, therefore, be able to create and use a model. When two variables are presented in a graph, table, or other chart, you should be handy with analyzing and drawing conclusions with regards to the relationship between these variables. Relationships between variables can be modeled by functions, but remember the function is only a model! It may give scientifically accurate predictions, or it may just describe a general trend. You may be asked whether a model is good, acceptable, or entirely inappropriate. Let’s look at this problem: The geologist in the question provides a model regarding the country’s beach erosion. According to that model, beaches erode at a rate of 1.5 feet per year. 21 feet of erosion would therefore take 14 years, as $14(1.5)=21$. The functions you’re asked to work with may be linear, quadratic, and/or exponential. Linear and exponential are discussed in more detail below. Linear An important example of linear growth is simple interest, where you earn interest on your principal, each period, but not on any interest that has been added since that first deposit. This is modeled by the function: $A = P(1+rt)$. $P$ is the principal, $r$ is the interest rate, and $t$ is the amount of time interest has been accruing. Exponential An important example of exponential growth is compound interest, where you earn interest on the interest you’ve previously earned. This is modeled by the function: $A = P (1+r/n)^{nt}$, where $P$ is the principal, $r$ is the interest rate (typically annual), $n$ is the number of times the interest compounds per period (typically a year), and $t$ is the amount of time that has passed since the principal began accruing interest. Be careful! The stated rate of change may not be the same as the rate of change over time. This is typical of compound interest: You might take a loan at 9%, but if it compounds monthly, you’re really taking a loan at $(1+.09/12)^12 – 1 = 9.38%$ at the end of the year. On the other hand, you might make a deposit that accrues interest at a rate of 5%, but it compounds quarterly, so you’re really getting $(1+.05/4)^4 – 1 = 5.095%$ at the end of the year. Math and money are very closely linked. Ratios, Proportions, Units, and Percentages You’ll need to be familiar with direct proportionality/variation: $y = kx$, where $k$ is a unitless constant of proportion. This relationship may also be expressed as $x_1/y_1 = x_2/y_2$. You’ll need to know how percent increase and percent decrease work. Be careful about how you approach these problems; they can get a little tricky. Remember, for instance, that if you have a 20%-off coupon for an item that’s on a 20%-off sale, you won’t save 40%. You’ll save 36%, as you’ll pay 80% of 80% of the original price: $x(.8)(.8) = (.64)x = x - (.36)x$. Take a look at this pair of problems: This is the sort of situation where you’re asked to deal with quantities in very practical terms. These aren’t just numbers floating in and out of an abstract function; no, these numbers represent that annual budget, in thousands of dollars, for each of six different state programs in Kansas from 2007 to 2010. The first problem is asking for the approximate average rate of change in the annual budget for agriculture/natural resources in Kansas from 2008 to 2010. From 2008 to 2009, the budget grew by 127,099 thousands of dollars, or $127,099,000. From 2009 to 2010, the budget grew by 2,299 thousands of dollars, or $2,299,000. Thus, we add those two figures together, divide by two, and find that the average growth was $64,699,000, or, when rounding, (B). For the next problem, we are comparing the 2007-budget-to-2010-budget ratios across the various programs. We will first need to find those ratios: Agriculture/natural resources - $373,904/488,106=.766$ Education- $2,164,607/3,008,036=.7196$ Highways and transportation- $1,468,482/1,773,893=.8278$ Public safety- $263,463/464,233=.5675$ Out of these, the closest to human resources ($4,051,050/5,921,379=.6841$), is (B). Probability Two events are independent if one happening has nothing to do with another, like the sun shining and you eating a sandwich for lunch. The sun may shine, and you may eat a sandwich for lunch, but one does not cause or prevent the other. Two events are mutually exclusive if they cannot both occur, like me wearing a hat and me not wearing a hat. I can’t do both. For independent, non-mutually exclusive events: P(A and B) = P(A)*P(B), whereas P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B). For mutually exclusive events: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B). There are other formulas for more complicated scenarios, but these will get you pretty far - they’re all you should need on the SAT. Let’s take a look at this problem: Twenty-five people passed the bar exam; of these, seven did not take the review course. So, the probability that the interviewed person in question did not take the bar exam is 7/25, or (B). Math and gambling are closely linked, too. It’s all about that probability. Conclusion This domain of the test is calculation-heavy, although there are some theoretical questions. These questions compose almost a third of the test. They cover, roughly: Statistical analysis Proportions Probability Modeling Real-world data Your answers will be scored to yield one of three subscores for the Math section. What’s Next? That was a fair amount of information. Digest it a little; then, a great next stop would be perusing our overall guide to SAT Math, including directions to a number of other great posts. Now, because Problem Solving and Data Analysis problems are so information-heavy, you may wish to practice with some word problems, to get used to that much verbal data being thrown your way. As you’re trying these practice problems, you’ll want to know how to use them to your best advantage. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

No topic - Essay Example The youth is engaged in disturbing activities with mothers losing. The shady nooks frighten the souls by raising questions over the state of the society. The state of extraordinary poignance has been highlighted with a tinge of hip hope that drives into a different world of distress. On the other hand â€Å"Whatever you like† song highlights a happy story full of positivism and high energy with little rap making it all the mire soothing. The song depicts the emotions of a man for whom buying sources and resources is an easy task. He often states that the girl can buy whatever she wants as the whole world is in a happy state full of sources and resources. He often states that buying good education and luxury items is within the reach and anything can be bought within no time. Comparing both the songs, it can be assumed that the grandmaster takes into the world of distress and little hope while â€Å"Whatever you like† takes into the world of happy sights, positivism and high enthusiasm. The contradiction made in the two songs belongs to two different worlds that highlight the difference between the rich and poor. Both songs can be considered as beautiful depiction of availability and paucity of emotions and

Facebook list on nasdaq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Facebook list on nasdaq - Essay Example A good number of these individuals basically use it for socialization while an equally reasonable number of the users also use it for business. This is evident from the increasing number of pages dedicated to commercial reason or building company relations all which cements business revenue. The Facebook functions increase the popularity of the site and business uses takes this popularity to a whole new level which is established when people look at the site as a revenue booster. Again, this brings in a totally new dimension beyond the social role; it portrays Facebook not as a social platform but a commercial site. This is the greatest disconnect with the regular Facebook user because the initial spirit seems to fade with passage of time. My initial view of Facebook, and notably that of the general public, was that Facebook was a purely social site thus when it transitions to a commercial site, then the prior views and its role fades with the transition. It soon loses its dominant role which is the single aspect that separated it from the likes of Google and Yahoo. The latter two companies defined their purpose as search engines early on in their operations. To me, this was the reason they have remained dominant to date. This is because the single role they undertook a t the beginning is the very same they have stuck with throughout. Unfortunately, we cannot say this of Facebook since they seem to slowly deviate from the very role that made it famous (Wankel and Charles 280). Even though the numbers represent a perfect opportunity for investors to cash in, my greatest problem is with the social function; the social role Facebook has been associated with. It is quite certain that with public listing, the company’s orientation will definitely change the scenario. It will initiate a change from revenue generation which has been the case to profit maximization. The millions of shareholders who will

Takata air bag Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Takata air bag - Case Study Example The airbag industry has been witnessed as one of the high growth industry worldwide. The rapidly developing market of airbag includes South America, South-East Asia, Eastern Europe, China and India (Prasad, 2015). Since 2009, various safety measures taken by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) has guided the automobile companies in the US to properly pass the side crash test which has further influenced the utilization of airbag safety equipment in the manufactured vehicles. The major manufacturers of the airbags within the global market include Autoliv, TRW, Delphi, Takata etc (Mattsson, 2015). Takata Corporation is a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer company which is one of the leading suppliers of vehicle airbag systems across the world. Apart from airbags the organization also deals in seatbelts, steering wheel system and child restraints system for a number of automobile companies. The organization was founded by Takezo Takada in 1933. Their major clients include Honda Motor Company, Toyota Motor Company and Nissan Motor Company. The organization has recorded annual revenue of approximately $4.5 billion by the end of 2014. Currently, the organization is recalling a large number of vehicles which as using Takata-made airbag system due to the recently found defective functions of the product. According to the current data the organization is recalling near about 34 million vehicles to replace their defected airbag system (Klayman, B. 2015). The vision statement of the organization defines their motivation towards the continuous development and innovation. The vision of the organization provides immense importance towards the preciousness of life while developing and designing any safety product (Takata Corporation. 2014). Situational analysis can be described as the collection of different methods that can be utilized by the management of different organizations to analyze their external

Historical People and Events

Historical People and Events Joan of Arc Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France honored and respected by everyone. She was an illiterate peasant girl who rose to the ranks of leading French armies to victory against England until her capture when she was only 19 years old. She was executed as a heretic in a politically motivated trial. Twenty four years later the Catholic Church declared her innocence and she was canonized as a saint in 1920. She was born in a time when France and England were at war. The Armagnacs and the Burgundians were two French factions at war with each other. By 1484 England was occupying Northern France. The English began a siege of Orleans. Her parents were Jacques dArc and Isabelle Rome. Her father was a farmer and a minor village official. She got her first visions at the age of 12 where St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret told her to expel the English. She obtained an interview with the royal French court where she predicted about military reverses of the English near Orleans. She was responsible for pursuing an aggressive offensive strategy by the French army in the siege of Orleans. The defeat of English led to the capture of Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire, Beaugency and annihilated the English army at the battle of Patay. A truce was signed between the two French factions following the arrival of the French army at Reims. The agreement was broken by Duke Philip. A French advance towards Paris was put off after an order to withdraw. Joan was captured on May 1430 following a skirmish with the English. She was put on trial for heresy in a politically motivated trial. She had supported the other side in France. She was executed for heresy. The inquisitors who interviewed her could not find any evidence of heresy and were convinced of her innocent. The priests who had put her on trial were forced and intimidated by the English government to pronounce heresy. Joan of Arc is honored and revered as a heroine throughout her life and beyond. The French military was inspir ed by her use of artillery and frontal tactics in warfare. Legends have survived about her legacy. The best known is that she did not feel pain during her execution. She is also believed to have died peacefully. She rose to prominence from an illiterate peasant girl to an inspiration for the French military. She gave hope to a discredited regime and inspired the French people to fight a popular war of national liberation. Joan of Arc expelled women from the French army and did not believe in feminism. She has been a political symbol ever since her death. The Vichy government, French resistance, liberals, conservatives, etc have all used her for their political purposes. Many people have studied about the religious visions of Joan. Most people believe in the sincerity of her faith. They consider it to be divine inspiration. Documents which detail about her visions are vague and possibly some fabrications have been added. Some researchers have tried to explain her visions in the form of neurological or psychiatric terms. This view has been opposed by many historians on grounds that hallucinations and hearing voices does not necessarily point to mental illness. Further a person with such lifestyle like Joan would have found it hard to maintain if she had a serious disease. The court of King Charles VII was highly skeptical and shrewd with regards to mental illness. His own father suffered from insanity and under him France began a long decline. Her boldness and physical rigor of her military career counters the theory that she suffered from any cognitive impairment. Joan of Arc remains a popular heroine and political symbol in France. She passionately pursued a national war of liberation and inspired the French to regain hope. She was sincere in faith. Her sincerity and legacy remain stronger than ever even after her death more than five hundred years ago. Johannes Gutenberg Gutenberg was a German Printer, and Pioneer in the use of movable type, he was sometimes identified as the first European to print with hand-set type cast and molds. Although he was not the only person working on the printing press, he was considered to be the main part of it. Gutenbergs name does not appear on any of the works attributed to him, but historical records have given evidence that he is indeed the one who printed them. Johannes Gutenberg was born in 1397. He was born into a noble family in the city of Mainz, a mining town, in Southern Germany. His father was Friele Gansfleisch, his mother was Else Wyrich. His early training was as a goldsmith and an inventor. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg for political reasons. He remained there for over twenty years. It was in Strasbourg that he made his first experiments with movable type. Gutenberg had the idea of modernizing techniques of metalworking, such as casting, punch-cutting, and stamping, for the mass production of books. Gutenberg became more and more intrigued by these subjects, which led to further experiments with movable type. He started to experiment with metal molds, alloys, special presses, and oil based inks. Little did he know that this experimentation, with a little increased work, would remain the main type of printing until the late twentieth century. In 1438 Gutenberg entered into a partnership with Andreas Dritzehn to conduct experiments in printing. Gutenberg taught Dritzehn about what he had learned dealing with movable type. In about 1450 Gutenberg returned to Mainz, where he formed yet another partnership with a German merchant and a money lender by the name of Johann Fust. With the money that he borrowed from Fust, Gutenberg was able to open up a press where he did additional research and experiments with movable type. It was sometime between 1450 and 1456 that Gutenberg set to work, and completed, a forty- two line Bible (it was 42 lines per page). The bible was referred to as th e Gutenberg Bible, also known as the Mazarine Bible, or the 42-lined bible. Today there is only 47 extant copies, the most widely known presently was acquired by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Only two other perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible are known to exist today. The Gutenberg Bible was widely known for its beauty and elegance. A German printer, Peter Schoffer, Fusts son-in-law, and Gutenbergs apprentice helped to print the work of the Bible. Gutenbergs main goal was to mechanically reproduce medieval liturgical manuscripts without taking away their color or design. In 1455 Fust demanded that Gutenberg repay the money that was invested in the business. This dispute resulted in a lawsuit in which Gutenberg abandoned his claims to his invention and gave up his stocks. Even though he had a dispute with Fust, Gutenberg continued his work with printing. During the years following the dispute and lawsuit Gutenberg printed several small but popular items such as calend ars, but in 1458 Gutenberg printed another bible, only this one was the 36 line Bible. Gutenberg began to re-establish his printing press company with the help of a man named Conrad Humery. At around 1460 Gutenberg was able to print the Missale speciale constantiense as well as the Catholicon. Gutenbergs press was made up of characters of equal height, and these characters were printed on hand-made paper. His press involved a mold that had the outlines of letters and other characters stamped into it. Letters of type could be produced quickly by pouring liquid metal into the pre-made molds. These stamped and molded letters were then put together to make pages of printing. Gutenbergs accomplishments with movable type made book production more economically possible, and easier to produce literature quicker. The new innovations in the printing press opened new possibilities for German literature. The printing press allowed an easier exchange of ideas throughout Europe and helped spread the ideas of the Renaissance. As more productions of literature occurred, more different languages were also printed out. Gutenbergs invention brought the printed word to a wider audience, altering history with its big impact on literacy and education. Before books were able to be printed with the printing press people had to believe what they heard from other people. They werent able to rely on what they read from history books or other sources of information. Before the printing press was invented, making books was a long and hard process, and the books that were produced were extremely costly. The printing press provided a practical and inexpensive way to produce literature. It was a particularly valuable invention, and it made a great contribution to the world. With the invention of the printing press reading and writing were no longer restricted to religious things, or to the rich. People soon learned to question the authority of the ruling class, which was also part of the spr ead of the Renaissance. The printing press sparked an enlightenment and widespread access and appreciation for classical art and literature. These new appreciations developed a new passion among people for artistic self expression. Without the printing press, the Renaissance may never have occurred. Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeths Childhood and Youth Elizabeth was born near London on Sept. 7, 1533. Her father was Henry VIII, bluff King Hal. Her mother was Anne Boleyn, the second of Henrys six wives. Henrys first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had only one surviving child, Mary. Henry wanted a male heir, so he asked the pope to annul the marriage. Because the pope refused, Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic church and set himself up as head of the church in England. Then he married Anne. He was disappointed that Annes child also was a girl. Before Elizabeth was 3 years old, he had her mother beheaded. Henry gave Elizabeth a house of her own in the country. He paid little attention to her, and her governess complained that the princess hath neither gown, nor kirtle, nor petticoat. Henry provided excellent tutors, however, and Elizabeth showed a love for learning. One of her tutors, Roger Ascham, wrote: Her perseverance is equal to that of a man, and her memory long keeps what it quickly picks up. Sh e talks French and Italian as well as she does English. When she writes Greek and Latin, nothing is more beautiful than her handwriting. She delights as much in music as she is skillful in it. Henrys third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to a son, Edward. Henry died when Edward was 10 years old, and the boy came to the throne as Edward VI. Elizabeth and Edward were both brought up in Henrys new church. Their half sister Mary was brought up a Roman Catholic. When Edward died in 1553, Mary became queen and at once made Catholicism the state religion. Mary suspected Elizabeth of plotting with the Protestants to gain the throne and had her imprisoned for two months in the Tower of London. When Mary died, there were two claimants to the throne. If Elizabeth did not succeed, the next heir was Mary Stuart of Scotland, a Catholic. Mary Stuart was about to be married to the dauphin Francis of France. If she won the throne of England, both Scotland and England would be joined to France. Philip II of Spain, though a Catholic, threw his influence on the side of Elizabeth because he was jealous of Frances power. Later the Spanish ambassador hinted to Elizabeth that she owed her throne to Philip. Elizabeth replied that she owed it to her people. She is very much wedded to her people, the ambassador wrote, and thinks as they do. When Elizabeth became queen in 1558, she rode at once to London from her country home, traveling in a slow procession to give the people a chance to see her. Guns boomed, bells rang, and the people cheered her and scattered flowers in her path. At the beginning of her reign England was in despair. The country had been weakened by war and religious strife, and the treasury was empty. Spain and France were powerful, and both wanted to rule England. The people hoped their young queen would soon marry a strong man who would guide her. But Elizabeth at once took the government into her own hands; and, though she had many suitors and close friendships with several men, she steadfastly refused to marry. The young queen chose as her chief minister Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley), who was cautious and conservative like herself. For 40 years he was her mainstay in both home and foreign affairs. Her favorite courtier was the charming and handsome Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester. When she died at the age of 69, she was still called the Virgin Queen. By then rich and secure, England was enjoying its greatest literary period. English ships were sailing into all seas, and the island kingdom had begun to establish its position as a world leader. In religious matters Elizabeth steered a middle course between the extreme Protestants and the Catholics. She restored the Protestant service but retained many features of Catholicism, including bishops and archbishops. She hoped this compromise would produce unity in the state; but the Catholics, who formed a majority of her subjects, were not reconciled. From time to time some of them plotted with Spain or France to put Mary Stuart on the throne in place of Elizabeth. France and Spain were rivals, and Elizabeth was usually able to play one off against the other. She even used courtship as part of her diplomatic game. She refused to marry Philip II of Spain but held out hopes to more than one of his royal relatives when France seemed to threaten. Later, when Philip turned against England, Elizabeth encouraged French princes. To cut Scotlands ties with France, she gave secret help to the Scottish Presbyterians. She also aided the Protestant Netherlands when they revolted against Spain. Mary Stuart returned to Scotland in 1561 after the death of her husband, Francis, king of France. In 1568 she was compelled to flee across the English border to ask Elizabeths help. Elizabeth kept her a prisoner for 19 years. Finally Mary was accused of having a part in the so-called Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth. Parliament demanded her execution. Elizabeth signed the warrant; and Mary Stuart was beheaded in 1587. In the last years of Elizabeths reign, Catholics were cruelly persecuted and many were put to death. Defeat of the Spanish Armada During the first 30 years of Elizabeths reign England was at peace. Commerce revived, and English ships were boldly venturing across the seas to the West Indies. There they came into conflict with Spain and Portugal, which owned and ruled the whole New World and claimed a monopoly of trade. English smugglers broke through the blockade and made huge profits by selling, in the West Indies, blacks they had seized in Africa. John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, and other English seamen also waylaid Spanish ships on their way home and seized their gold. Elizabeth aided the English privateers with ships and money and shared in their profits and stolen treasure. Philip II finally decided to put an end to these attacks by invading and conquering England. After years of preparation, Philip assembled a great fleet of his best and largest w arships, called by the Spanish the Armada (that is, fleet). In 1588 the Armada sailed into the English Channel. The English were waiting for them and at once put out to sea. Their ships were of newer design, smaller than the Spanish galleons, but faster and more heavily armed. In a nine-day battle they inflicted terrible losses on the enemy. The ships that escaped ran into bad weather and only a few returned to Spain. English ships then carried the war to Spain. When the struggle endedafter the deaths of both Elizabeth and Philipno Spanish fleet dared to contest Englands command of the seas. Englands Golden Age The most splendid period of English literature, called the Elizabethan Age, began in the later years of Elizabeths reign. Francis Bacon, writer of the Essays, was one of the queens lawyers. Edmund Spenser wrote The Faerie Queene in her honor. Shakespeare acted before her; but at the time of her death he had not yet written most of his great tragedies. Elizabeth enjoyed plays, but there is no evidence that she appreciated Shakespeares genius. Elizabeth was 55 years old when the Spanish Armada was defeated. Her joy in the victory was soon followed by grief, because her great favorite, Leicester, died a few months later. In 1598 her faithful minister Lord Burleigh passed away. In her court appeared young menSir Walter Raleigh, brilliant and adventurous, and the earl of Essex, a handsome young soldier. Essex fell from favor and Elizabeth had him executed for trying to stir up a rebellion against her. She died two years later, in 1603, at the age of 69, and was buried with great magnificence in Westminster Abbey. Mary Stuarts son, James VI of Scotland, was proclaimed James I of England, thus uniting the crowns of the two kingdoms. The things we think of chiefly as marking the reign of Elizabeth are the religious question, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the flourishing of literature. Also important, however, were hundreds of laws on shipping, commerce, industry, currency reform, roads, poor relief, and agriculture. These laws shaped the policy of England for more than two centuries after Elizabeths reign had ended. Aztecs The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their name is derived from Azatlan, the homeland of the north. The Aztecs also call themselves Mexica and there language came from the Nahuatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. The Aztecs were formed after the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians came towards Lake Texcoco. Late families were unfortunate and were forced to go to the swamp lands. In the swamp lands there was only one piece of land to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes. The Aztec families some how converted these disadvantages to a might empire known as they Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply believed legend. As the legend went it said that Aztec people would create a empire on in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus which is growing out of a rock in the swamplands. This i s what priests claimed they saw while entering the new land. By the year 1325 their capital city was finished. They called it Tenochtitlan. In the capital city aqueducts (piping) were constructed, bridges were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by piled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew corn, beans, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, and tobacco. Tenochtitlan (the capital city) was covered in giant religious statues in order to pay their respects to the gods. In the Aztec religion numerous gods controlled an Aztecs daily life. Some of these gods include: Uitzilpochtli (the sun god), Coyolxauhqui (the moon goddess), Tlaloc (the rain god), and Quetzalcoatl (the inventor of the calendar and writing). Another part of the Aztec religion was human sacrifices. For their sacrifices the priest would lay the man or woman over a convex (rounded) stone, and then he would take a sharp knife and cut the victims heart out. They did this because they believed that good gods could prevent bad gods from doing evil things and they also believed that good gods got their strength from human blood and hearts so they had sacrifices in order to keep their gods strong. For major rituals warriors were sacrificed, for the warrior this was one of the greatest honors and for minor rituals prisoners were used. In an Aztec marriage the grooms shirt is tied to the brides dress in order to express their bonding and after the wedding incents were burned for 4 days before proceeding with the marriage. In 1519 Hernando Cortes, a Spanish explorer, led over 500 men into Aztec territory to search for gold. Aztecs thought he was a representative for a certain white skinned god so they respected him. It all changed when the Aztecs saw that Hernando was melting down their golden statues and shipping them back to Spain. The Aztecs decided to attack Hernando and his men. The Aztecs were successful and drove the Spanish away. In 1520 the Spanish attacked the Aztecs capit al city and destroyed their civilization. That was the end of the Aztecs mighty empire had built so long ago. Spanish Inquisition The Inquisition was a religious movement to find and give punishment to heretics . The word inquisition comes from the word inquisitio, or inquest. The word inquisitio refers to the legal process that named the tribunals. It involved finding and interrogating suspects of crimes under oath to tell the truth. Some would condemn themselves. This method of finding heretics worked very well with the Waldensians and the Cathars. In France, the Templars were persecuted by the Inquisitors. In the year 392 A.D. the Roman Emperor Thodosius I outlawed every religion that was not Christian or Jewish. After he declared that, heresy became not only a religious offense, but also a civil one. Heretics began revolting quite frequently in the eleven and twelve hundreds, so the Church took over the job of finding and punishing heretics. In 1231, a special court was created by Pope Gregory IV to demand that all heretics become Christians. The Congregation of the Holy Office took control of the Inquisiti on in 1542. The judges for the Inquisition were almost all Dominican and Franciscan friars. The Inquisition took place mostly in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. It did take place in other countries, but not as commonly. The investigations were in secret and almost all of the inquisitors abused their powers. Most Inquisitors were Dominican monks, appointed by the head of the Inquisition. Inquisitors and judges of the Inquisition could be compared to the prosecutors and judges of todays courts, to use an analogy. The inquisitor-general would appoint tribunals. Tribunals are groups of inquisitors. During an inquisition, two inquisitors, who traveled together, would call out to a town, city, or village for confessions. Only males under age fourteen and females under age twelve would not be considered as heretics. Questions would be asked of those accused in the local language. The answers were written down by scribes in Latin. The accused would never be defended by anyone, because th en the defender would be thought to be a heretic. The accused ones would not even know who had accused them. Judgments were given on Sundays, in a sermon. Punishment could range from death to paying a fine. Usually heretics were killed. The Inquisition in England was strengthened when the Catholic Reformation, also known as the Counter-Reformation was started. It was to prevent more conversion the Protestantism and to clean up the church. The sale of indulgences was no longer permitted. It was completely done away with. Fear of the Inquisition was also used to discourage becoming Protestant and abandoning Catholicism, for fear of being tried as a heretic. In the fifteen hundreds, the Inquisition was used by the Catholic church against Protestants. Also from the Counter-Reformation came the Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus, which was a group of powerful missionaries. During the Spanish Inquisition alone, from 1478 to 1834, thousands of people were tortured and killed. The person resp onsible for the death of over two thousand Spaniards was Tomas de Torquemanda. He was the leader of the Spanish Inquisition for fifteen years, from 1483 to 1498. He created the rules and precedents of inquisitorial procedure. He formed branches of the Inquisition in many major cities. When the Spanish Inquisition got out of hand, the Church tried to stop it but they could not halt it. The Spanish Inquisition ran its reign of terror from 1478 to 1834. It was said by Mark in Mark 4:22 that Jesus said, For there is nothing to be hid, except to be made manifest, nor is anything secret, except to come to light. The death of all those innocents was something that the Church had tried to hide. They would be imprisoned for days, months, even years, after one hearing, some to finally be tortured to death. The prisoners would have moldy food and stale water, along with cockroaches and other vermin, to keep them company in the dark. As mentioned earlier, suspected heretics were interrogated. T he term should be tortured, in innumerable cases. The inquisitors tortured prisoners to coerce them to confess. There were many ways that heretics would be tortured. Many were very gruesome. Torture has been used by many societies, in all times and places, even now. One method of torture was the use of pear-shaped devices that were forced into the mouth, anus, or vagina and then expanded, by way of mechanical devices, to thereby expand the body cavity. This would irreparably damage the tissues, because each pair had points on it. Almost everyone would die after having this done to them. One other way of persuading heretics to confess was Squassation. This was through use of the Strappardo. This was done by tying the victims hands behind their back and lifting them into the air by their wrists, while having heavy weights attached to their ankles or testicles. Then, they would be dropped almost to the ground and jerked to a stop. This would often dislocate the arms and cause much dama ge to the body part of which the weights were attached. People would be mock-crucified also, by being nailed to a door in the manner of crucifixion. The door would then be swung back and forth or slammed shut quickly. Some heretics were given the water torture, which consisted of forcing the person to drink water through a funnel until they died or confessed. Heretics were also be burned to death on stakes. Some were killed by being put in an oven and being roasted. If suspected heretics would not confess to heresy, then they would often be burned at the stake. In 1224, Frederick II made it a law that heretics must die by fire. One of the worst times in the Inquisition was in the sixteen hundreds. During that period, anything bad that happened could be blamed on witches. Neighbors would accuse each other of being witches over soured milk, lice, and any other minor problem that would occur. If a person said that they didnt believe in witches or demons, then they would be accused of b eing a witch or a heretic. Torture has been proven to be an ineffective method of getting the truth out of someone. A person in great pain might admit to anything, even if innocent. One Templar who had been tortured said, Under such torture, I would have confessed to killing God. Guilds Guilds were created in the Middle Ages and were groups of people with a common interest in a certain trade. There were many different types of guilds varying from religious and social guilds to crafts and carpentry guilds. The main purposes of these guilds were to prevent individual businesses from controlling all of the business of a certain trade. This proved profitable for the smaller businesses. Individuals who refused to join the guild of their profession were forced to leave the town. Guilds also had their own specific coat of arms and badges for members. Craft guilds, comprised of bakers, goldsmiths, tailors, weavers, boatmen, and other craft workers, created rules to protect members of the guilds. Perhaps the most important of the above guilds were those of the boatmen, which were in the coastal port cities. The merchants guilds created rules that set a standard on prices of their products. The members could not sell discounted items to people who were not members of the guil d. They also set standards on the quality of their goods and agreed on wages for their workers. To become part of a guild, workers went through an initiation ceremony and other rites. These rites were known as collegia. Being a member of a guild had some advantages. Along with a membership, the workers received assistance from the guild when it was needed. The guild helped members with charity, funeral ceremonies, prayers for the dead, and provided other services for the members in their times of need. The guilds built halls and market places and helped with church and town projects. all of their crafts and creations were of great quality. If a member of the guild made an item of poor quality he was punished with fines. If he continued to make the crafts with the same quality he would be expelled from the guild. The craft workers who became very successful in their trade and who owned their own shops became the masters of the guild. Craft workers who did not fully master their trade , or did not run their own shops were the journeymen. The journeymen worked in the shops of the masters everyday and received pay from them. Young men who were learning certain trades became known as apprentices and received housing and meals from their master. After about two to seven years, an apprentice could become a journeyman. Journeymen who wanted to become masters had to show evidence of great skill. He also had to pass an examination or make a product in his craft. The product would then be judged by the other masters belonging to his guild. If the product was considered a masterpiece, the journeyman would become a master. Because it soon became more and more difficult for people to become masters, journeymen soon created their own associations. They separated from their masters because their needs were not being met and this angered the masters. The masters tried to fight back by securing the passage of laws prohibiting them. They were defeated most of the time by the guil ds, its members and officials in the town. Merchants and craftsmen had great honor in their trade. This caused them to make their products with nothing but the best and because of their quality crafts, they took in great amounts of money. If the lord of the town was in need of money, he would made the merchants and craftsmen feel obligated to donate their money by making them feel guilty and selfish. Many times, merchants were robbed on their journeys and within the towns they sold their items. Sometimes merchants were falsely accused of owing other merchants and people money. If he did not belong to a guild, it was his word against theirs. If he did belong to a guild, the members supported him. Because of the danger on the merchants journey, caravans, or groups of merchants which traveled together, soon developed. Cities developed around areas which contained items or food of value and where it was convenient for merchants to carry to and then sell their items. Guild halls were bui lt as a meeting house for medieval craft and trade guilds to meet. The guild hall in London, known as the Council Hall, is famous for its great hall and crypt. Other countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, have excellent examples of Guild halls. The Lord Mayor of Londons banquet is held annually at the Guild hall in London. Because guilds became so popular and large, they became powerful in the government of the towns. When guilds needed permission to do something from their lord, they had to have the lord write his promise down and then it would be locked up safely in a strong chest in their Guild hall. This promise was called a charter. Guilds continued to increase their power by asking the lord for charters and were soon able to run a small portion of the town. They asked for a charter to allow them to appoint men to govern the town rather than the lords bailiff. Usually in return for this allowance, the guild had to pay a fixed rent each year. When they were allowed this, the guild was in charge of most of the town. As if the guilds were not complex and powerful enough, they decided to create associations of guilds, which controlled common foreign markets. Some examples of these associations are the League of the Flemish cities, concerned with the English wool trade. The association of North German cities, known as the Hanseatic League, controlled trades on the Baltic and North Seas. By the 1300s, guilds began to lose their protection and democratic sides. Guild membership began to pass down through the generations from father to son. This made it more difficult for new members to join the guilds. The increase of capitalistic industry was responsi Historical People and Events Historical People and Events Joan of Arc Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France honored and respected by everyone. She was an illiterate peasant girl who rose to the ranks of leading French armies to victory against England until her capture when she was only 19 years old. She was executed as a heretic in a politically motivated trial. Twenty four years later the Catholic Church declared her innocence and she was canonized as a saint in 1920. She was born in a time when France and England were at war. The Armagnacs and the Burgundians were two French factions at war with each other. By 1484 England was occupying Northern France. The English began a siege of Orleans. Her parents were Jacques dArc and Isabelle Rome. Her father was a farmer and a minor village official. She got her first visions at the age of 12 where St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret told her to expel the English. She obtained an interview with the royal French court where she predicted about military reverses of the English near Orleans. She was responsible for pursuing an aggressive offensive strategy by the French army in the siege of Orleans. The defeat of English led to the capture of Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire, Beaugency and annihilated the English army at the battle of Patay. A truce was signed between the two French factions following the arrival of the French army at Reims. The agreement was broken by Duke Philip. A French advance towards Paris was put off after an order to withdraw. Joan was captured on May 1430 following a skirmish with the English. She was put on trial for heresy in a politically motivated trial. She had supported the other side in France. She was executed for heresy. The inquisitors who interviewed her could not find any evidence of heresy and were convinced of her innocent. The priests who had put her on trial were forced and intimidated by the English government to pronounce heresy. Joan of Arc is honored and revered as a heroine throughout her life and beyond. The French military was inspir ed by her use of artillery and frontal tactics in warfare. Legends have survived about her legacy. The best known is that she did not feel pain during her execution. She is also believed to have died peacefully. She rose to prominence from an illiterate peasant girl to an inspiration for the French military. She gave hope to a discredited regime and inspired the French people to fight a popular war of national liberation. Joan of Arc expelled women from the French army and did not believe in feminism. She has been a political symbol ever since her death. The Vichy government, French resistance, liberals, conservatives, etc have all used her for their political purposes. Many people have studied about the religious visions of Joan. Most people believe in the sincerity of her faith. They consider it to be divine inspiration. Documents which detail about her visions are vague and possibly some fabrications have been added. Some researchers have tried to explain her visions in the form of neurological or psychiatric terms. This view has been opposed by many historians on grounds that hallucinations and hearing voices does not necessarily point to mental illness. Further a person with such lifestyle like Joan would have found it hard to maintain if she had a serious disease. The court of King Charles VII was highly skeptical and shrewd with regards to mental illness. His own father suffered from insanity and under him France began a long decline. Her boldness and physical rigor of her military career counters the theory that she suffered from any cognitive impairment. Joan of Arc remains a popular heroine and political symbol in France. She passionately pursued a national war of liberation and inspired the French to regain hope. She was sincere in faith. Her sincerity and legacy remain stronger than ever even after her death more than five hundred years ago. Johannes Gutenberg Gutenberg was a German Printer, and Pioneer in the use of movable type, he was sometimes identified as the first European to print with hand-set type cast and molds. Although he was not the only person working on the printing press, he was considered to be the main part of it. Gutenbergs name does not appear on any of the works attributed to him, but historical records have given evidence that he is indeed the one who printed them. Johannes Gutenberg was born in 1397. He was born into a noble family in the city of Mainz, a mining town, in Southern Germany. His father was Friele Gansfleisch, his mother was Else Wyrich. His early training was as a goldsmith and an inventor. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg for political reasons. He remained there for over twenty years. It was in Strasbourg that he made his first experiments with movable type. Gutenberg had the idea of modernizing techniques of metalworking, such as casting, punch-cutting, and stamping, for the mass production of books. Gutenberg became more and more intrigued by these subjects, which led to further experiments with movable type. He started to experiment with metal molds, alloys, special presses, and oil based inks. Little did he know that this experimentation, with a little increased work, would remain the main type of printing until the late twentieth century. In 1438 Gutenberg entered into a partnership with Andreas Dritzehn to conduct experiments in printing. Gutenberg taught Dritzehn about what he had learned dealing with movable type. In about 1450 Gutenberg returned to Mainz, where he formed yet another partnership with a German merchant and a money lender by the name of Johann Fust. With the money that he borrowed from Fust, Gutenberg was able to open up a press where he did additional research and experiments with movable type. It was sometime between 1450 and 1456 that Gutenberg set to work, and completed, a forty- two line Bible (it was 42 lines per page). The bible was referred to as th e Gutenberg Bible, also known as the Mazarine Bible, or the 42-lined bible. Today there is only 47 extant copies, the most widely known presently was acquired by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Only two other perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible are known to exist today. The Gutenberg Bible was widely known for its beauty and elegance. A German printer, Peter Schoffer, Fusts son-in-law, and Gutenbergs apprentice helped to print the work of the Bible. Gutenbergs main goal was to mechanically reproduce medieval liturgical manuscripts without taking away their color or design. In 1455 Fust demanded that Gutenberg repay the money that was invested in the business. This dispute resulted in a lawsuit in which Gutenberg abandoned his claims to his invention and gave up his stocks. Even though he had a dispute with Fust, Gutenberg continued his work with printing. During the years following the dispute and lawsuit Gutenberg printed several small but popular items such as calend ars, but in 1458 Gutenberg printed another bible, only this one was the 36 line Bible. Gutenberg began to re-establish his printing press company with the help of a man named Conrad Humery. At around 1460 Gutenberg was able to print the Missale speciale constantiense as well as the Catholicon. Gutenbergs press was made up of characters of equal height, and these characters were printed on hand-made paper. His press involved a mold that had the outlines of letters and other characters stamped into it. Letters of type could be produced quickly by pouring liquid metal into the pre-made molds. These stamped and molded letters were then put together to make pages of printing. Gutenbergs accomplishments with movable type made book production more economically possible, and easier to produce literature quicker. The new innovations in the printing press opened new possibilities for German literature. The printing press allowed an easier exchange of ideas throughout Europe and helped spread the ideas of the Renaissance. As more productions of literature occurred, more different languages were also printed out. Gutenbergs invention brought the printed word to a wider audience, altering history with its big impact on literacy and education. Before books were able to be printed with the printing press people had to believe what they heard from other people. They werent able to rely on what they read from history books or other sources of information. Before the printing press was invented, making books was a long and hard process, and the books that were produced were extremely costly. The printing press provided a practical and inexpensive way to produce literature. It was a particularly valuable invention, and it made a great contribution to the world. With the invention of the printing press reading and writing were no longer restricted to religious things, or to the rich. People soon learned to question the authority of the ruling class, which was also part of the spr ead of the Renaissance. The printing press sparked an enlightenment and widespread access and appreciation for classical art and literature. These new appreciations developed a new passion among people for artistic self expression. Without the printing press, the Renaissance may never have occurred. Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeths Childhood and Youth Elizabeth was born near London on Sept. 7, 1533. Her father was Henry VIII, bluff King Hal. Her mother was Anne Boleyn, the second of Henrys six wives. Henrys first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had only one surviving child, Mary. Henry wanted a male heir, so he asked the pope to annul the marriage. Because the pope refused, Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic church and set himself up as head of the church in England. Then he married Anne. He was disappointed that Annes child also was a girl. Before Elizabeth was 3 years old, he had her mother beheaded. Henry gave Elizabeth a house of her own in the country. He paid little attention to her, and her governess complained that the princess hath neither gown, nor kirtle, nor petticoat. Henry provided excellent tutors, however, and Elizabeth showed a love for learning. One of her tutors, Roger Ascham, wrote: Her perseverance is equal to that of a man, and her memory long keeps what it quickly picks up. Sh e talks French and Italian as well as she does English. When she writes Greek and Latin, nothing is more beautiful than her handwriting. She delights as much in music as she is skillful in it. Henrys third wife, Jane Seymour, gave birth to a son, Edward. Henry died when Edward was 10 years old, and the boy came to the throne as Edward VI. Elizabeth and Edward were both brought up in Henrys new church. Their half sister Mary was brought up a Roman Catholic. When Edward died in 1553, Mary became queen and at once made Catholicism the state religion. Mary suspected Elizabeth of plotting with the Protestants to gain the throne and had her imprisoned for two months in the Tower of London. When Mary died, there were two claimants to the throne. If Elizabeth did not succeed, the next heir was Mary Stuart of Scotland, a Catholic. Mary Stuart was about to be married to the dauphin Francis of France. If she won the throne of England, both Scotland and England would be joined to France. Philip II of Spain, though a Catholic, threw his influence on the side of Elizabeth because he was jealous of Frances power. Later the Spanish ambassador hinted to Elizabeth that she owed her throne to Philip. Elizabeth replied that she owed it to her people. She is very much wedded to her people, the ambassador wrote, and thinks as they do. When Elizabeth became queen in 1558, she rode at once to London from her country home, traveling in a slow procession to give the people a chance to see her. Guns boomed, bells rang, and the people cheered her and scattered flowers in her path. At the beginning of her reign England was in despair. The country had been weakened by war and religious strife, and the treasury was empty. Spain and France were powerful, and both wanted to rule England. The people hoped their young queen would soon marry a strong man who would guide her. But Elizabeth at once took the government into her own hands; and, though she had many suitors and close friendships with several men, she steadfastly refused to marry. The young queen chose as her chief minister Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley), who was cautious and conservative like herself. For 40 years he was her mainstay in both home and foreign affairs. Her favorite courtier was the charming and handsome Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester. When she died at the age of 69, she was still called the Virgin Queen. By then rich and secure, England was enjoying its greatest literary period. English ships were sailing into all seas, and the island kingdom had begun to establish its position as a world leader. In religious matters Elizabeth steered a middle course between the extreme Protestants and the Catholics. She restored the Protestant service but retained many features of Catholicism, including bishops and archbishops. She hoped this compromise would produce unity in the state; but the Catholics, who formed a majority of her subjects, were not reconciled. From time to time some of them plotted with Spain or France to put Mary Stuart on the throne in place of Elizabeth. France and Spain were rivals, and Elizabeth was usually able to play one off against the other. She even used courtship as part of her diplomatic game. She refused to marry Philip II of Spain but held out hopes to more than one of his royal relatives when France seemed to threaten. Later, when Philip turned against England, Elizabeth encouraged French princes. To cut Scotlands ties with France, she gave secret help to the Scottish Presbyterians. She also aided the Protestant Netherlands when they revolted against Spain. Mary Stuart returned to Scotland in 1561 after the death of her husband, Francis, king of France. In 1568 she was compelled to flee across the English border to ask Elizabeths help. Elizabeth kept her a prisoner for 19 years. Finally Mary was accused of having a part in the so-called Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth. Parliament demanded her execution. Elizabeth signed the warrant; and Mary Stuart was beheaded in 1587. In the last years of Elizabeths reign, Catholics were cruelly persecuted and many were put to death. Defeat of the Spanish Armada During the first 30 years of Elizabeths reign England was at peace. Commerce revived, and English ships were boldly venturing across the seas to the West Indies. There they came into conflict with Spain and Portugal, which owned and ruled the whole New World and claimed a monopoly of trade. English smugglers broke through the blockade and made huge profits by selling, in the West Indies, blacks they had seized in Africa. John Hawkins, Sir Francis Drake, and other English seamen also waylaid Spanish ships on their way home and seized their gold. Elizabeth aided the English privateers with ships and money and shared in their profits and stolen treasure. Philip II finally decided to put an end to these attacks by invading and conquering England. After years of preparation, Philip assembled a great fleet of his best and largest w arships, called by the Spanish the Armada (that is, fleet). In 1588 the Armada sailed into the English Channel. The English were waiting for them and at once put out to sea. Their ships were of newer design, smaller than the Spanish galleons, but faster and more heavily armed. In a nine-day battle they inflicted terrible losses on the enemy. The ships that escaped ran into bad weather and only a few returned to Spain. English ships then carried the war to Spain. When the struggle endedafter the deaths of both Elizabeth and Philipno Spanish fleet dared to contest Englands command of the seas. Englands Golden Age The most splendid period of English literature, called the Elizabethan Age, began in the later years of Elizabeths reign. Francis Bacon, writer of the Essays, was one of the queens lawyers. Edmund Spenser wrote The Faerie Queene in her honor. Shakespeare acted before her; but at the time of her death he had not yet written most of his great tragedies. Elizabeth enjoyed plays, but there is no evidence that she appreciated Shakespeares genius. Elizabeth was 55 years old when the Spanish Armada was defeated. Her joy in the victory was soon followed by grief, because her great favorite, Leicester, died a few months later. In 1598 her faithful minister Lord Burleigh passed away. In her court appeared young menSir Walter Raleigh, brilliant and adventurous, and the earl of Essex, a handsome young soldier. Essex fell from favor and Elizabeth had him executed for trying to stir up a rebellion against her. She died two years later, in 1603, at the age of 69, and was buried with great magnificence in Westminster Abbey. Mary Stuarts son, James VI of Scotland, was proclaimed James I of England, thus uniting the crowns of the two kingdoms. The things we think of chiefly as marking the reign of Elizabeth are the religious question, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the flourishing of literature. Also important, however, were hundreds of laws on shipping, commerce, industry, currency reform, roads, poor relief, and agriculture. These laws shaped the policy of England for more than two centuries after Elizabeths reign had ended. Aztecs The Aztec Indians, who are known for their domination of southern and central Mexico, ruled between the 14th and 16th centuries. Their name is derived from Azatlan, the homeland of the north. The Aztecs also call themselves Mexica and there language came from the Nahuatlan branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. The Aztecs were formed after the Toltec civilization occurred when hundreds of civilians came towards Lake Texcoco. Late families were unfortunate and were forced to go to the swamp lands. In the swamp lands there was only one piece of land to farm on and it was totally surrounded by more marshes. The Aztec families some how converted these disadvantages to a might empire known as they Aztec Empire. People say the empire was partially formed by a deeply believed legend. As the legend went it said that Aztec people would create a empire on in a swampy place where they would see an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus which is growing out of a rock in the swamplands. This i s what priests claimed they saw while entering the new land. By the year 1325 their capital city was finished. They called it Tenochtitlan. In the capital city aqueducts (piping) were constructed, bridges were built, and chinapas were made. Chinapas were little islands formed by piled up mud. On these chinapas Aztecs grew corn, beans, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, and tobacco. Tenochtitlan (the capital city) was covered in giant religious statues in order to pay their respects to the gods. In the Aztec religion numerous gods controlled an Aztecs daily life. Some of these gods include: Uitzilpochtli (the sun god), Coyolxauhqui (the moon goddess), Tlaloc (the rain god), and Quetzalcoatl (the inventor of the calendar and writing). Another part of the Aztec religion was human sacrifices. For their sacrifices the priest would lay the man or woman over a convex (rounded) stone, and then he would take a sharp knife and cut the victims heart out. They did this because they believed that good gods could prevent bad gods from doing evil things and they also believed that good gods got their strength from human blood and hearts so they had sacrifices in order to keep their gods strong. For major rituals warriors were sacrificed, for the warrior this was one of the greatest honors and for minor rituals prisoners were used. In an Aztec marriage the grooms shirt is tied to the brides dress in order to express their bonding and after the wedding incents were burned for 4 days before proceeding with the marriage. In 1519 Hernando Cortes, a Spanish explorer, led over 500 men into Aztec territory to search for gold. Aztecs thought he was a representative for a certain white skinned god so they respected him. It all changed when the Aztecs saw that Hernando was melting down their golden statues and shipping them back to Spain. The Aztecs decided to attack Hernando and his men. The Aztecs were successful and drove the Spanish away. In 1520 the Spanish attacked the Aztecs capit al city and destroyed their civilization. That was the end of the Aztecs mighty empire had built so long ago. Spanish Inquisition The Inquisition was a religious movement to find and give punishment to heretics . The word inquisition comes from the word inquisitio, or inquest. The word inquisitio refers to the legal process that named the tribunals. It involved finding and interrogating suspects of crimes under oath to tell the truth. Some would condemn themselves. This method of finding heretics worked very well with the Waldensians and the Cathars. In France, the Templars were persecuted by the Inquisitors. In the year 392 A.D. the Roman Emperor Thodosius I outlawed every religion that was not Christian or Jewish. After he declared that, heresy became not only a religious offense, but also a civil one. Heretics began revolting quite frequently in the eleven and twelve hundreds, so the Church took over the job of finding and punishing heretics. In 1231, a special court was created by Pope Gregory IV to demand that all heretics become Christians. The Congregation of the Holy Office took control of the Inquisiti on in 1542. The judges for the Inquisition were almost all Dominican and Franciscan friars. The Inquisition took place mostly in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. It did take place in other countries, but not as commonly. The investigations were in secret and almost all of the inquisitors abused their powers. Most Inquisitors were Dominican monks, appointed by the head of the Inquisition. Inquisitors and judges of the Inquisition could be compared to the prosecutors and judges of todays courts, to use an analogy. The inquisitor-general would appoint tribunals. Tribunals are groups of inquisitors. During an inquisition, two inquisitors, who traveled together, would call out to a town, city, or village for confessions. Only males under age fourteen and females under age twelve would not be considered as heretics. Questions would be asked of those accused in the local language. The answers were written down by scribes in Latin. The accused would never be defended by anyone, because th en the defender would be thought to be a heretic. The accused ones would not even know who had accused them. Judgments were given on Sundays, in a sermon. Punishment could range from death to paying a fine. Usually heretics were killed. The Inquisition in England was strengthened when the Catholic Reformation, also known as the Counter-Reformation was started. It was to prevent more conversion the Protestantism and to clean up the church. The sale of indulgences was no longer permitted. It was completely done away with. Fear of the Inquisition was also used to discourage becoming Protestant and abandoning Catholicism, for fear of being tried as a heretic. In the fifteen hundreds, the Inquisition was used by the Catholic church against Protestants. Also from the Counter-Reformation came the Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus, which was a group of powerful missionaries. During the Spanish Inquisition alone, from 1478 to 1834, thousands of people were tortured and killed. The person resp onsible for the death of over two thousand Spaniards was Tomas de Torquemanda. He was the leader of the Spanish Inquisition for fifteen years, from 1483 to 1498. He created the rules and precedents of inquisitorial procedure. He formed branches of the Inquisition in many major cities. When the Spanish Inquisition got out of hand, the Church tried to stop it but they could not halt it. The Spanish Inquisition ran its reign of terror from 1478 to 1834. It was said by Mark in Mark 4:22 that Jesus said, For there is nothing to be hid, except to be made manifest, nor is anything secret, except to come to light. The death of all those innocents was something that the Church had tried to hide. They would be imprisoned for days, months, even years, after one hearing, some to finally be tortured to death. The prisoners would have moldy food and stale water, along with cockroaches and other vermin, to keep them company in the dark. As mentioned earlier, suspected heretics were interrogated. T he term should be tortured, in innumerable cases. The inquisitors tortured prisoners to coerce them to confess. There were many ways that heretics would be tortured. Many were very gruesome. Torture has been used by many societies, in all times and places, even now. One method of torture was the use of pear-shaped devices that were forced into the mouth, anus, or vagina and then expanded, by way of mechanical devices, to thereby expand the body cavity. This would irreparably damage the tissues, because each pair had points on it. Almost everyone would die after having this done to them. One other way of persuading heretics to confess was Squassation. This was through use of the Strappardo. This was done by tying the victims hands behind their back and lifting them into the air by their wrists, while having heavy weights attached to their ankles or testicles. Then, they would be dropped almost to the ground and jerked to a stop. This would often dislocate the arms and cause much dama ge to the body part of which the weights were attached. People would be mock-crucified also, by being nailed to a door in the manner of crucifixion. The door would then be swung back and forth or slammed shut quickly. Some heretics were given the water torture, which consisted of forcing the person to drink water through a funnel until they died or confessed. Heretics were also be burned to death on stakes. Some were killed by being put in an oven and being roasted. If suspected heretics would not confess to heresy, then they would often be burned at the stake. In 1224, Frederick II made it a law that heretics must die by fire. One of the worst times in the Inquisition was in the sixteen hundreds. During that period, anything bad that happened could be blamed on witches. Neighbors would accuse each other of being witches over soured milk, lice, and any other minor problem that would occur. If a person said that they didnt believe in witches or demons, then they would be accused of b eing a witch or a heretic. Torture has been proven to be an ineffective method of getting the truth out of someone. A person in great pain might admit to anything, even if innocent. One Templar who had been tortured said, Under such torture, I would have confessed to killing God. Guilds Guilds were created in the Middle Ages and were groups of people with a common interest in a certain trade. There were many different types of guilds varying from religious and social guilds to crafts and carpentry guilds. The main purposes of these guilds were to prevent individual businesses from controlling all of the business of a certain trade. This proved profitable for the smaller businesses. Individuals who refused to join the guild of their profession were forced to leave the town. Guilds also had their own specific coat of arms and badges for members. Craft guilds, comprised of bakers, goldsmiths, tailors, weavers, boatmen, and other craft workers, created rules to protect members of the guilds. Perhaps the most important of the above guilds were those of the boatmen, which were in the coastal port cities. The merchants guilds created rules that set a standard on prices of their products. The members could not sell discounted items to people who were not members of the guil d. They also set standards on the quality of their goods and agreed on wages for their workers. To become part of a guild, workers went through an initiation ceremony and other rites. These rites were known as collegia. Being a member of a guild had some advantages. Along with a membership, the workers received assistance from the guild when it was needed. The guild helped members with charity, funeral ceremonies, prayers for the dead, and provided other services for the members in their times of need. The guilds built halls and market places and helped with church and town projects. all of their crafts and creations were of great quality. If a member of the guild made an item of poor quality he was punished with fines. If he continued to make the crafts with the same quality he would be expelled from the guild. The craft workers who became very successful in their trade and who owned their own shops became the masters of the guild. Craft workers who did not fully master their trade , or did not run their own shops were the journeymen. The journeymen worked in the shops of the masters everyday and received pay from them. Young men who were learning certain trades became known as apprentices and received housing and meals from their master. After about two to seven years, an apprentice could become a journeyman. Journeymen who wanted to become masters had to show evidence of great skill. He also had to pass an examination or make a product in his craft. The product would then be judged by the other masters belonging to his guild. If the product was considered a masterpiece, the journeyman would become a master. Because it soon became more and more difficult for people to become masters, journeymen soon created their own associations. They separated from their masters because their needs were not being met and this angered the masters. The masters tried to fight back by securing the passage of laws prohibiting them. They were defeated most of the time by the guil ds, its members and officials in the town. Merchants and craftsmen had great honor in their trade. This caused them to make their products with nothing but the best and because of their quality crafts, they took in great amounts of money. If the lord of the town was in need of money, he would made the merchants and craftsmen feel obligated to donate their money by making them feel guilty and selfish. Many times, merchants were robbed on their journeys and within the towns they sold their items. Sometimes merchants were falsely accused of owing other merchants and people money. If he did not belong to a guild, it was his word against theirs. If he did belong to a guild, the members supported him. Because of the danger on the merchants journey, caravans, or groups of merchants which traveled together, soon developed. Cities developed around areas which contained items or food of value and where it was convenient for merchants to carry to and then sell their items. Guild halls were bui lt as a meeting house for medieval craft and trade guilds to meet. The guild hall in London, known as the Council Hall, is famous for its great hall and crypt. Other countries, such as Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, have excellent examples of Guild halls. The Lord Mayor of Londons banquet is held annually at the Guild hall in London. Because guilds became so popular and large, they became powerful in the government of the towns. When guilds needed permission to do something from their lord, they had to have the lord write his promise down and then it would be locked up safely in a strong chest in their Guild hall. This promise was called a charter. Guilds continued to increase their power by asking the lord for charters and were soon able to run a small portion of the town. They asked for a charter to allow them to appoint men to govern the town rather than the lords bailiff. Usually in return for this allowance, the guild had to pay a fixed rent each year. When they were allowed this, the guild was in charge of most of the town. As if the guilds were not complex and powerful enough, they decided to create associations of guilds, which controlled common foreign markets. Some examples of these associations are the League of the Flemish cities, concerned with the English wool trade. The association of North German cities, known as the Hanseatic League, controlled trades on the Baltic and North Seas. By the 1300s, guilds began to lose their protection and democratic sides. Guild membership began to pass down through the generations from father to son. This made it more difficult for new members to join the guilds. The increase of capitalistic industry was responsi