The Making of the USA essays

The Making of the USA essays The Making of the USA Two main challenges met by the American people are the building of a democratic nation and the policy of imperialism that U.S. applied in order to assert its authority all over the world. The Revolutionary War and the Constitution opened the way for a great surge of nation-building, since the Americans goals at that moment were national liberties. Besides, the written Constitution set up the principles of separation of powers and Federalism which created a true national government. We will also see how the Americans could achieve their dearest goals such as, national liberation and free enterprise based on recurrent values like democracy, manifest destiny and the feeling of superiority. Moreover, these values in turn have defined the American national identity and a sense of unity making the Americans feel that they are a special nation capable of overcoming the most challenging situations. In spite of this, the United States still has to deal with some unresolved conflicts suc h as, racism and economic unequality. To begin with, the building of the nation started with the American Revolution (1775). The goal of the war was national liberation. Patriots believed that the British were conspiring to take away their tradional freedoms, so they sought to protect their liberties such as, property, the right to bring their legal cases before independent judges, the right to call their own assemblies, and the right to engage in trade without restrictions and to pay no taxes voted by a British Parliament in which they had no direct representation. Although the seed of democracy was planted early in the colonies through town meetings and assemblies which decided on local issues, it was not a complete democracy since only landowners could vote. However, the experience of self-government in the colonies increased their sense of autonomy. In addition to this, as the colonies were...

Courtesy Titles and Honorifics

Courtesy Titles and Honorifics Courtesy Titles and Honorifics Courtesy Titles and Honorifics By Mark Nichol There was a time when it was considered proper form to refer indirectly to people in writing with a courtesy title or an honorific a designation that identifies gender, profession, or title of nobility. That time, to the great relief of writers everywhere, has passed. Of course, in direct address in a salutation, or when otherwise referring to someone in writing (as in a transcription) it is and perhaps always will be proper to identify people with such markers: â€Å"Mr. Smith,† â€Å"Captain Jones,† â€Å"Doctor Williams,† â€Å"Reverend Taylor,† and so on. But with few exceptions, such terms are obsolete when referring to people in the third person. The custom was cumbersome, requiring writers to be sure they knew more about a person that was perhaps necessary (or relevant): Is Mr. Smith a mere â€Å"John Smith,† or is he â€Å"Colonel John Smith (ret.)†? And is a woman a â€Å"Mrs.,† a â€Å"Ms.,† or a â€Å"Miss† and why does it matter? Likewise, does Captain Jones hold that specific naval rank, or is she commander of a naval vessel or installation and therefore called â€Å"Captain† in recognition of her status as a commanding officer even though her actual rank is different, or is she the owner of a sailboat? Is Doctor Williams a medical doctor, or did he earn a doctorate? Is Reverend Taylor’s status as a member of the clergy relevant to that person’s mention in an article or a book? Though the New York Times persists in using courtesy titles (except in editorials and feature articles), this is a rare quirk bordering on obsolete affectation. Of course, courtesy titles are appropriate on first reference to a person: â€Å"The Reverend Robert Taylor† (or, in newspaper style, â€Å"Rev. Robert Taylor†) should be identified as such when introduced. (Alternatively, the introduction may be more relaxed: â€Å"Robert Taylor, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church.†) But the crux of this post is that on second reference that’s editor-speak for any reference beyond the first one no courtesy title or honorific is necessary, and it’s simpler to avoid using one. A few examples follow: â€Å"John Smith was present at the meeting, she said. . . . Smith [not â€Å"Mr. Smith†] spoke on the topic during the public-comment period.† â€Å"Captain Mary Jones took command of the ship in 2010. . . . Jones [not â€Å"Captain Jones†] is a twenty-five year navy veteran.† â€Å"She appealed to Doctor James Williams. . . . Williams [not â€Å"Doctor Williams†] responded encouragingly.† â€Å"The Reverend Robert Taylor officiated at the wedding. . . . Taylor [not â€Å"Reverend Taylor†] reminded the bride that he had baptized her.† In narrative nonfiction or in fiction, of course, a subject or character might be referred to habitually as â€Å"Captain Jones† because that is how people actually refer to her, as when the owner of a fishing trawler is widely known in a community perhaps few even know her first name or in the case of a naval officer always so addressed by crew members. The same exception applies to other courtesy titles, even â€Å"Mr.† and â€Å"Mrs.† or â€Å"Ms.,† which, unlike the others, are always abbreviated. Ultimately, however, the burden of proof is on whether a courtesy title should appear on second reference and the answer is usually no. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections"Replacement for" and "replacement of"The Two Sounds of G