Thanksgiving Celebration Tradition - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1269 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/03/29 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Thanksgiving Essay Did you like this example? Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a well-known celebrated tradition of the United States and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Anyone can celebrate the special holiday how they choose or choose not to celebrate at all. The United States has shaped Thanksgiving into their own culture. Thanksgiving has changed drastically over time. Like many other historical events and stories, thanksgivings meaning in the United States has changed from its original reason of celebration. Thanksgiving Day is a detailed record from Salem Press, a publisher of reference works. Based off of the information given, the Pilgrims came to the new world on the Mayflower. Almost a hundred of the passengers passed away during the winter season. The survivors built wooden houses and planted crops with the help of the natives during spring and winter. The surviving pilgrims invited the neighboring tribe to enjoy the successful harvest. The Wampanoag Indians brought five deer (Thanksgiving Day). This is the story children are taught in school about the origin of Thanksgiving and the beginning of the United States. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Thanksgiving Celebration Tradition" essay for you Create order Myths are very common when it comes down to past events. A myth is a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. The article, Investigating the First Thanksgiving, is by Jacqueline M. Keneipp, a graduate from Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. The article states that Americans see the first Thanksgiving with images of Pilgrims and Indians sitting at a long banquet table eating turkey and pumpkin pie (Keneipp). Historians have used sources from the harvest festival to prove the modern story, of the first Thanksgiving, incorrect. The harvest festival is primary sources historians accept as the true first day of the holiday (Keneipp). The Making of the Domestic Occasion: The History of Thanksgiving in the United States, is a journal of social history written by Elizabeth Pleck- a graduate from the University of Illinois. The journal gives insight on the first Thanksgiving and how it change overtime. It is noted that the first celebration was in November of 1612. The pilgrims sailed the ocean and came to America where they met the Wampanoag Indians. The story goes that they celebrated a successful harvest and ate happily together but the following history of what happened after getting comfortable on the new land is not taught. Thanksgiving Myths, Legends and Lies: Why Settlers Really Started the Annual Feast, was written by Grace Donnelly from fortune.com- a multinational business magazine. After the pilgrims got comfortable, they used small pox blankets to get rid of the natives (Donnelly). The article mentions how the encounter between the pilgrims and Indians was not as sweet as everyone thinks (Donnelly). The celebration in 1621 did not mark a fr iendly turning point and did not become an annual event. Relations between the Wampanoag and the settlers deteriorated, leading to the Pequot War, Donnelly states. In her work Donnelly explains that President Lincoln issued the proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1863 to bring the Indian and Pilgrims together and end the war (Donnelly). The celebration was also encouraged by a magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale. She would encourage the legalization of the holiday in Godeys magazine and write letters to the military and governors telling them to celebrate (Pleck). Godeys was a magazine with a circulation of 150,000 and the largest periodical of its kind in the country (Thanksgiving Day). Also, the confederates and the Union were separated and at war with each other, the union won. The battle of Gettysburg had a role in Lincoln making Thanksgiving a legal holiday (Thanksgiving Day). After it became a national holiday, the meaning of thanksgiving started changing to a holiday of family homecoming (Pleck). Pleck also states how the second most celebrated holiday became a holiday of American civil religion. Instead of being thankful for the crops and successful harvest, Lincoln praised God for prosperity, blessings, and peace. Thanksgiving gained a new meaning during the Progressive era. Attending church was no longer required but it was expected to say grace before eating. Public schools used immigrant children to bring American culture into their homes. They encouraged the children to enjoy American celebrations and no longer stressed the history of Thanksgiving. Pleck states that, In the Progressive era, teachers did not emphasize the Protestant origins or meanings of thanksgiving, and instead portrayed the holiday in secular, nationalist terms ¦ (Pleck). During the 1870s, teachers started giving students pictures and symbols to draw and color. The child would bring home the ideas learned from class and share it with their family (Pleck). Around the late 1800s, people in the west thought of the holiday as a hunting day and people in the south considered it a Yankee day. Pleck mentions that Thanksgiving Day, in the early nineteenth century, began with church and ended the day with a feast. The men would target objects or wild turkeys and win a prize. This could take place before or after church. Blacks still thought of Thanksgiving as a religious holiday around 1900 and attended church the morning of (Pleck). The Macys Day parade symbolized commercialization. It started in 1924 and advertised shopping for the next upcoming holiday, Christmas. Thanksgiving themed table settings and cards were also sold during this time. Gifts, such as the Bible, were exchanged in the early nineteenth century but is no longer done. Football became a popular sport watched on the fourth Thursday of November in the late 1800s when a college championship game was scheduled on that day. Soon after the first game of 1876, many college and high school teams were playing on Thanksgiving Day. In the 1900s it became an inside sport over the radio and by 1956 the games made it to television screens. Women and men were separated during the celebration. The men would sit and talk over food and the game while the females worked in the kitchen and talked with other women (Pleck). Thanksgiving is not what it used to be. The holiday is celebrated with different foods that are now considered the traditional meal of the special day. Outdoor activities are less common than it was in the past. The United States do not speak on details about the important history that created the tradition and encouraged it. Televised games, eating a huge meal, and being thankful for Gods blessings is the modern day Thanksgiving. Work Cited Donnelly, Grace. Thanksgiving Myths, Legends and Lies: Why Settlers Really Started the Annual Feast. Fortune.Com, 21 Nov. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost, ntcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=126354504site=eds-live. Elizabeth Pleck, author. The Making of the Domestic Occasion: The History of Thanksgiving in the United States. Journal of Social History, no. 4, 1999, p. 773. EBSCOhost, ntcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=edsjsrAN=edsjsr.3789891site=eds-live. Jacqueline M., Keneipp. Investigating the First Thanksgiving. OAH Magazine of History, no. 3, 2004, p. 68. EBSCOhost, ntcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=edsjsrAN=edsjsr.25163687site=eds-live. Thanksgiving Day. Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2015. EBSCOhost,ntcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=erAN=93788271site=eds-live. Wallendorf, Melanie and Eric J. Arnould. We Gather Together: Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving Day. Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 18, no. 1, June 1991, pp. 13-31. EBSCOhost, ntcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=4657212site=eds-live.

The, The Butcher s Tale, By Helmut Walser Smith - 1351 Words

Late 19th Century Germany was a time seemingly stuck between two worlds – the past and the future – and this period’s amount of rapid growth and change ultimately resulted in the decimation of German society as was known. This collapse allowed a river of hatred to flow in its place, known as Anti-Semitism. Based on the primary and secondary sources discussed in and out of class, I believe there are three main reasons why such a horrendous belief system infiltrated 19th Century German society: conflict between urban and rural populations, rapid freedoms granted to the media, and the ignorance of German politicians who unknowingly or not, pushed political extremists’ agendas. Late 19th Century Germany was an ever-changing political,†¦show more content†¦This estrangement left a disconnect in society that spread just from being â€Å"urban† or â€Å"rural† – it expanded all the way to the government and society as a whole. Often times, people associate government with â€Å"city† as both are often far away and unaware of rural life and its needs. This caused a rift between the people and the government as the people implementing laws and decrees have no true knowledge of how it is affecting the people who are not directly at â€Å"arms reach†. This is most prominent in â€Å"The Butcher’s Tale† where the author describes the government’s attempts to bring in troops and investigators to quell the ongoing anti-Semitic mob and in turn they are easily dispelled. The people in small towns around the German Empire – like Konitz – were aware that the government didn’t understand their needs. This ultimately left them susceptible to the media that they learned their news from. Media was just as ever-changing as the society it was taking place within. During this time, media was just beginning to become a nationwide phenomenon. In May of 1874, the â€Å"Impe rial Press Law† decreed that there would be freedom of the press. This opened the door not only for more forms of media to be readily available, but also for media to now be interwoven with politics. Newspapers

Francis Bacon free essay sample

Sir Francis Bacon was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator and author. In 1597 he wrote a short story called â€Å"Of Revenge†. When I came across the short story in my book Reading Literature and Writing Argument I became interested in the story after reading the title. Revenge always happens to be a very interesting topic, typically filled with drama or action. After reading I began to ask myself some questions. Why might someone seek revenge? Is revenge ever justified? After I was able to finish reading Of Revenge I decided that I should summarize his story to get a better understanding of his views on revenge. I observed that Bacons main argument is that revenge is usually something that never produces a good outcome and is typically only viewed as just if it publicly deserved. He views revenge as a perversion of the law. The first wrong is governed by the law and the act of revenge is outside the law. We will write a custom essay sample on Francis Bacon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He states that ignoring a wrong makes a man superior to the person who committed the first wrong. He then points out that wise men have enough to do with the present and the future. Since a wrong in the past cannot be made right, it is best to concentrate on the present and future (academia). So why do people do it? I began my research on Google. I thought it would be good to start searching with â€Å"why do people seek revenge? † According to Apa. org, historically, there are two schools of thought on revenge. The Bible, Exodus 21:23 instructs us to give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot to punish an offender. But more than 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King Jr., responded, The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind (APA. org). It seems that the concept of revenge has been in the minds of people since the beginning of time. There are some questions you must ask yourself in order to analyze revenge itself. If someone was to kill a member of your family, are you entitled to killing an equal valued family member of theirs? If someone blows up your house, are you entitled to blow up the other person’s house? While it may seem fair in some cases, how much better than the other person are you when you have committed an equal horrible act? These questions made me think about revenge as a whole. It seems that any way you put it, revenge always appears to others as a negative act. While this is great evidence in helping me understand vengeance this still does not explain why people seek revenge. As Francis Bacon states â€Å"This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well (Folger. edu) To understand his idea I began to break down the quote. He claims that whenever a man is focused on revenge, [it] keeps his own wounds green. I feel that by referring to the color green he is actually referring to the â€Å"sickness† of being possessed by revenge because they plague the wounds and mind. When saying â€Å"which otherwise would heal† he’s referring to overcoming the wrong-doing that the others have done upon him that will happen over time anyways. When someone does wrong onto someone else, sometimes they may be plagued with the thoughts of revenge when otherwise things would end there. Still, there’s the question is it justified? As I sifted through the links provided on Google, I came upon the website emotionalcompetency. They state that â€Å"revenge is directed passionately at a specific target with the intent of doing them harm because you believe they have intentionally done you harm† (emotional competency). Usually people feel they have been attacked in some way or suffered an unjust loss or injury. They are feeling anger, hate, jealousy, envy, and or shame towards the situation. Sometimes people are simply humiliated. If another person made them feel powerless, foolish, ridiculous, stupid, or ashamed people might try seeking revenge against them. Other times they may feel they have to defend their honor whether it is for themselves, their family, their ancestors, or another group they identify themselves with. So it goes deeper than just hurting someone’s feelings. This helped me understand that a negatively emotional event triggered the victim to seek equal damage for another person’s actions. You must completely shatter one’s peace of mind to the extent that they cannot get the issue out of their heads for them to seek revenge upon you. Now that I have analyzed these readings I have come up with a few more questions. Just because you are emotionally distraught, does that enable you to seek revenge without punishment to yourself? I must now differentiate a just and an unjust revenge. Bacon then ends by pointing out that public revenge on bad leaders is for the most part fortunate; as that for the death of Caesar; for the death of Pertinax; for the death of Henry the Third of France; and many more† (psu. edu). He also reminds his reader that private revenge is unfortunate. † While Bacon is in favor of publicly punishing and humiliating authority figures that have done wrong, he still attempts to appeal to a higher sense of moral superiority (enotes). Bacon points out that ignoring a wrong makes a man superior to the person who committed the first wrong. Since nothing can change past events, wise men, Bacon claims, are able to live in the future and disregard past wrongs that they have suffered (Academia). So we come back to the same questions. Why might someone seek revenge? Is revenge ever justified? Francis Bacon in his short story Of Revenge discusses that revenge is usually something that never produces a good outcome and is typically only viewed as just if it publicly deserved. He lists the just deaths of a few old world leaders while appealing to a higher morality by believing that private revenge is just as bad. This essay has slightly swayed my view on revenge. It helped me open my eyes to the fact that I would be no better than my oppressor if I sought to vengefully harm them. He ends with the final statement â€Å"Nay rather, vindictive persons live the life of witches; who, as they are mischievous, so end they unfortunate†(psu. edu) The people who live the lives of negative, vengeful people will have to suffer the consequences of their way of living.

Indian Easement Act free essay sample

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect any law not hereby expressly repealed; or to derogate from- (a) any right of the government to regulate the collection, retention and distribution of the water of rivers and streams flowing in natural channels, and of natural lakes and ponds, or of the water flowing, collected, retained or distributed in or by any channel or other work constructed at the public expense for irrigation; (b) any customary or other right (not being a licence) in or over immovable property which the government, the public or any person may possess irrespective of other immovable property; or c) any right acquired, or arising out of a relation created, before this Act comes into force. An easement is a right which the owner or occupier of certain land possesses, as such, for the beneficial enjoyment of that land, to do and continue to do something, or to prevent and continue to prevent something being done, in or upon, or in respect of certain other land not his own. Dominant and servient heritages and owners: The land for the beneficial enjoyment of which the right exists is called the dominant heritage, and the owner or occupier thereof the dominant owner; and land on which the liability is imposed is called the servient heritage, and the owner or occupier thereof the servient owner. Explanation : In the first and second clauses of this section the, expression land includes also things permanently attached to the earth; the expression beneficial enjoyment includes also possible convenience, remote advantage, and even a mere amenity; and the expression to do something includes removal and appropriation by the dominant owner, for the beneficial enjoyment of the dominant heritage, or any part of the soil of the servant heritage, or anything growing or subsisting thereon. Illustrations. A, as the owner of a certain house, has a right of way thither over his neighbour B? s land for purposes connected with the beneficial enjoyment of the house. This is an easement. (b) A, as the owner of a certain house, has the right to go on his neighbours B? s land, and to take water for the purposes of his household out of a spring therein. This is an easement. (c) A, as the owner of a certain house, has the right to conduct water from B? s stream to supply the fountains in the garden attached to the house. This is an easement. d) A, as the owner of a certain house and farm, has the right to graze a certain number of his own cattle on Bs field, or to take, for the purpose of being used in the house, by himself, his family, guests, lodgers and servants, water or fish out of Cs tank, or timber out of Ds wood, or to use, for the purpose of manuring his land, the leaves which have fallen from the trees. These are easements. (e) A dedicates to the public the right to occupy the surface of certain land for the purpose of passing and re-passing. This right is not an easement. f) A is bound to cleanse a watercourse running through his land and keep it free from obstruction for the benefit of B, a lower riparian owner. This is not an easement. 5. Continuous and discontinuous, apparent and non-apparent easements Easements are either continuous or discontinuous, apparent or non-apparent. A continuous easement is one whose enjoyment is, or may be, continual without the act of man. A discontinuous easement is one that needs the act of man for its enjoyment. An apparent easement is one the existence of which is shown by some permanent sign which, upon careful inspection by a competent person, would be visible to him. A non-apparent easement is one that has no such sign. Illustrations (a) A right annexed to B? s house to receive light by the windows without obstruction by his neighbour A. This is a continuous easement. (b) A right of way annexed to A? s house over B? s land. This is a discontinuous easement. (c) Rights annexed to As land to lead water thither across Bs land by an aqueduct and to draw off water thence by a drain. The drain would be discovered upon careful inspection by a person conversant with such matters. These are apparent easements. d) A right annexed to As house to prevent B from building on his own land. This is a non-apparent easement. 6. Easement for limited time or on condition An easement may be permanent, or for a term of years or other limited period, or subject to periodical interruption, or exercisable only at a certain place, or at certain times, or between certain hours, or for a particular purpose, or on condition that it shall commence or become void or voidable o n the happening of a specified event or the performance or non-performance of a specified Act. 7. Easements restrictive of certain rights Easements are restrictions of one or other of the following rights (namely):- (a) Exclusive right to enjoy-The exclusive right of every owner of immovable property (subject to any law for the time being in force) to enjoy and dispose of the same and all products there of and accessions thereto. (b) Rights to advantages arising from situation-The right of every owner of immovable property (subject to any law for the time being in force) to enjoy without disturbance by another the natural advantages arising from its situation. Illustrations of the rights above referred to (a) The exclusive right of every owner of land in a town to build on such land, subject to any municipal law for the time being in force. (b) The right of every owner of land that the air passing thereto shall not be unreasonable polluted by other persons. (c) The right of every owner of a house that his physical comfort shall not be interfered with materially and unreasonably by noise or vibration caused by any other person. d) The right of every owner of land to so much light and air as pass vertically thereto. (e) The right of every owner of land that such land, in its natural condition, shall have the support naturally rendered by the subjacent and adjacent soil of another person. Land is in its natural conditions when it is not excavated and not subjected to artificial pressure, and the subjacent and adjacent soil mentioned in this illustration means such soil only as in its natural condition would support the dominant heritage in its natural condition. f) The right of every owner of land that, within his own limits, the water which naturally passes or percolates by, over or through his land shall not, before so passing or percolating, be unreasonably polluted by other persons. (g) The right of every owner of land to collect and dispose within his own limits of all water under the land which does not pass in a defined channel and all water on its surface which does not pass in a defined channel. The right of every owner of land that the water of every natural stream which passes by, through or over his land in a defined natural channel shall be allowed by other persons to flow within such owners limits without interruption and without material alteration in quantity, direction, force or temperature; the right of every owner of land abutting on a natural lake or pond into or out of which a natural stream flows, that the water of such lake or pond shall be allowed by other persons to remain within such owners limits without material alteration in quantity or temperature. i) The right of every owner of upper land that water naturally rising in, or falling on such land, and not passing in defined channels, shall be allowed by the owner of adjacent lower land to run naturally thereto. The right of every owner of land abutting on a natural stream, lake or pond to use and consume its water for drinking, household purposes and watering his cattle and sheep, and the right of every such owner to use and consume the water for irrigating such land, and for the purposes of any manufactory situate thereon, provided that he does not thereby cause material injury to other like owners.