It has been argued that Britains poor development of industries based on science and technology before 1914 resulted from an education system which was deficient in these areas. Evaluate whether the evidence supports this view

British Economic History Supervision 5 Supervisor:Dr. D. M. Fowler by:Lambros Diamandopoulos ''It has been argued that Britain's poor development of industries based on science and technology before 1914 resulted from an education system which was deficient in these areas. Evaluate whether the evidence supports this view.'' Conservatism And introversion In the article of D.C Coleman and Christine Macleod1 there is a phrase that says: ''In 1884 a Sheffield steel maker had observed:The finest steels in the world are made here...but we do not know why it is''.This phrase could not summarize better the perception of businessmen towards science during the Victorian period. The ''industrial spirit'' that existed during the industrial revolution did not decline but did not develop neither. In almost all areas of British economy and even in areas that had flourished during the previous period like textiles, a conservatism was observed. This conservatism had to do with the products themselves but mainly with the production methods that compared with those of the competitive to Britain counties, could not be efficient preserving the basic elements of the past. Because the new techniques that were introduced in industrial revolution had proved to have so remarkable effects,businessmen of Victorian period continued to apply them as a practical solution. The latter in combination

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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One of the most controversial issues of British Economic History is the living standards during the industrial revolution. ''Pessimists'' against ''optimists'' oppose their ideas about whether the standards of living during the industrial revolution impro

British Economic History Supervision 4 Supervisor:Dr. D. M. Fowler by:Lambros Diamandopoulos ''Qualitative aspects of living standards, such as the disamenities of urban living, have become the decisive factors in evaluating whether the English working classes benefited from Industrial Revolution''. Introduction One of the most controversial issues of British Economic History is the living standards during the industrial revolution. ''Pessimists'' against ''optimists'' oppose their ideas about whether the standards of live during the industrial revolution improved,deteriorated or remained stable. On the one hand,optimists like Jeffrey G.Williamson, held the view that although some workers suffered from harsh working conditions and were working more days,the increase in real wages could offset these disamenities and as a whole,the majority of people lived from 1760 to 1850 benefited from the industrial revolution in terms of standards of life. On the other hand,pessimists like Charles H. Feinstein argued that the living standards of life deteriorated for the working class in early industrialisation. The main difference in the perception of judging the living standards between optimists and pessimists is the distinction between the importance of qualitative and quantitative factors that influenced the lives of workers during industrialisation. On the ''quantitative

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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African American Soldiers of the Civil War

Stephanie Filippetti September 23, 2008 IB History of the Americas: Juniors Mrs. Foster African American Soldiers of the Civil War In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation opened the door for African Americans to enlist in the Union Army. Although many had wanted to join the war effort earlier, they were prohibited from enlisting by a federal law dating back to 1792. (African Americans During the Civil War) President Lincoln had also feared that if he authorized African American enlistment, border states would be more likely to secede from the Union. By the end of the war, approximately 180,000 African-American soldiers had joined the fight (African Americans During the Civil War). As the war that began to preserve the Union went on and developed into a campaign to end slavery, many soldiers, White and African American, "die[d] to make men free." (Howe) A few years into the hostile war, the questionable had become the expected- abolition of slavery, a formerly despised cause by some, now justified the motivation of the Civil War. At the end of the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln announced that the freed African Americans "would be received into the armed service of the United States..." Lincoln believed that this would weaken the Confederacy and strengthen the Union. The recruitment of the newly freed African Americans took laborers

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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To what extent were nineteenth-century state bureaucracies a force for modernization?

To what extent were nineteenth-century state bureaucracies a force for modernization? European States modernized greatly in the Nineteenth century; however, the extent that the state bureaucracies forced modernization is debatable. In answering the above question I think it necessary to first examine the characteristics of 'bureaucracies' and also what one means by modernization. The characteristics of bureaucracy were first formulated in a systematic manner by the German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920), whose definition and theories set the foundations for all subsequent work on the subject. They refer firstly to the division of labour in the organization and its authority structure, the position and role of the individual member, and the type of rules that regulate the relations between organizational members. Weber states that a highly developed division of labour and specialization of tasks is one of the most fundamental features of bureaucracy. This is achieved he says by a precise and detailed definition of the duties and responsibilities of each position or office. (The Open University 2003) One vitally important and decisive characteristic of bureaucracy, and one that to some extent explains all the others is the existence of a system of control based on rational rules, that is, rules meant to design and regulate the whole organization on the basis of technical

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Art and the Experience of War

Art and the Experience of War Throughout history, artists and authors have tried to allow their audience to experience war and to some extent have been very accurate. There is however, no truly accurate medium through which the experience of war can be portrayed. Accurate, as defined by the Merriam-Webster online collegiate dictionary, means free from error and conforming exactly to truth or to a standard. No human author can write something free from error because a man cannot have absolute knowledge about a particular situation. Also, because man is not infallible, the author cannot be totally objective in writing about his experience but will include his perspective on the facts. Accuracy however is not an absolute therefore there are varying degrees of accuracy. For example, even though it is not totally accurate, one work can be more accurate than another can. Certain aspects of a work must be examined to determine the varying degree of accuracy which the work posses: things such as the audience of the writer, qualifications of the writer, and intent of the writer. The question in art therefore become how useful is this piece of art? For example, if you are doing a research paper in which factual details are important, a poem or a painting are probably not the best art forms to use as examples. On the other hand, if you are writing about the root causes of war,

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  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Gladstone's Political Opponents Denounced Him As A Dangerous Radical And Demagogue

Gladstone's Political Opponents Denounced Him As A Dangerous Radical And Demagogue. But He was Really A conservative In Politics And In Outlook. Discuss Gladstone compared to other politicians stood out far from the rest. Instead of taking a mediocre approach he fought for what he really believed in. By doing this it may explain why his opponents branded him a dangerous radical. Gladstone toured different parts of the nation where he spoke to large groups of working men. He also visited factories, gave working people the impression that he was on their side by creating the Post Office savings, tax on paper, the pale of constitution speech in May 1864, praised self command and had respect for order of working classes. Gladstone strongly disagreed with the conservatives over various issues on foreign policy, finance and admin reform. From this disagreement it is right for his political opponents to brand him a radical due to they were not on the same wavelength of what he had in mind for the prospects of Britain. It is fact that Gladstone used speech to enflame emoticons and excite crowds although, by using this effective method (demagogue) it certainly gave him a boost in popularity. He was so immense at doing this that after his tours of areas such as the north in small cities i.e. Gateshead and Manchester he encouraged the working class to become more interested in

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Problems facing late 19th century farmers

The problems facing the farmer of the late 19th Century were very broad. They ranged from falling crop prices, to unfair treatment by the railroads, and also the fight to have silver coined as money, in effort to increase the value of a dollar. These problems spurred the creation of the Populist Party, whose goals were to bring redemption to the agricultural community. First off, the most severe problem being battled by the farmers was that of falling crop prices. There were many contributing factors to this, with farmers blaming the government for a multitude of reasons. One overlooked factor when considering this though is that the amount of farms in the United States increased drastically after the civil war. With more farms came more products, which simply apply the idea of supply and demand. The deflation in prices was a direct result of more products, but less demand. As America was becoming a much more industrialized nation, farmers were also following suit, becoming much more commercial in their business. Whereas early in the century, many farmers were considered "subsistence farmers", meaning they farmed mostly for the existence of themselves and their families, selling only what was necessary for them to get by. As the country moved in a more modern direction, many family farmers were left in the dust by large commercialized farms. These farms afforded specialized

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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What Causes Revolutions

What causes revolutions? Answer with reference to France between 1789 and 1870. In this essay I am going to look at the French Revolution of 1789 and what the Revolution's causes were and the effects it had on the society of the time. The 1789 French Revolution is explained as a social upheaval, where a bourgeoisie asserted itself against the old order which was dominated by the nobility. Feudalism was therefore destroyed in 1789 which meant that a new capitalist order was developed and was based on the wealth and influence of the bourgeoisie. However, non-nobles wanted to join the nobility rather than destroy the aristocratic order. (Rapport (2005) p.10) Historians have interpreted the French Revolution as a political transformation, with its roots still in 18th century political culture and ideas. A new political culture emerged where the power of the monarchy shifted to the 'people' in various ways. The emergence of 'public opinions' in the 18th century, had lively public debates on politics, terms such as 'nation, liberty, citizen' and 'patriot' was current before the French Revolution. (Rapport (2005) p.10) The first few years of the French Revolution 1789-92 can be seen as a period of rapid social and institutional change during which the monarchy was dismantled. This was the 'moderate' phase as the leaders of the National and Constituent Assemblies tried to

  • Word count: 1559
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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Account for the rise of organised feminism in the second half of the 19th century

Eleanor Fell Tony Howe Account for the rise of organised feminism in the second half of the 19th century The belief in feminism, that women should be entitled to equal rights and opportunities with men, has existed for many generations. Feminism first materialised following the French Revolution in 1789 and industrialisation in Britain from the 1780s. It was not until the 19th century however that feminism began developing, and not until the second half of the century that it became organised. This was due to many factors such as a widening electorate and increased publicity of inequalities that contributed to a rising discontent amongst women, especially in the middle classes. This organised feminism continued to gain strength throughout the second half of the 19th century. The French Revolution saw campaigns for civil rights, and they were only given to men. This aggrieved some women who believed that the rights should have been granted to everybody. Similarly, following industrialisation in Britain from 1780 and the opportunities that it created, tension arose as those opportunities were denied to women. This feeling of discontent was only felt by a small minority of elite however, who began campaigning against male dominance, whilst most women at the time were content fulfilling their traditional roles as wives and mothers. This meant therefore that women who

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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US History. The Womens Rights Movement Through the Civil War.

The Beginnings of the Reform; The Women's Rights Movement Through the Civil War By: Laura Solomon For three fourths of a century, American women centered their aspirations for freedom and power for the vote. Along with the black liberation and labor movements, women suffrage is on of the three great reform efforts in the American History1.If it weren't for the women's movement I would not be enrolled in school right now, and I certainly would not be writing this research paper. I catch myself taking things for granted way to often, and it is important to understand the degree in which women took to transform their lives. They had to deal with changes in their family, relation to society, and women's role within it. It took a handful of women to come together and help, but the beginning of the reform is where is all started. A number of women who got the reform going included; Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone. These women help Lead to the birth of the women's right movement, The Seneca Falls Convention. This was the ultimate launch of the movement that these women did not only for themselves by theirs daughters and women throughout the world. Just like Elizabeth Cady Stanton declared on the first generation of suffragists, "We solemnly vowed, that there should never be another season of silence until women had the same rights

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
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