Free Essays on After The Civil War

After the Civil War INTRODUCTION From the aftermath of the Civil War through the Spanish-American War and World War I, the United States had a prominent place on the international stage of politics between 1865 and 1920. This essay will give an overview of those years and some of the roles the United States played in the international political scene. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR There were tremendous political, economic, social, and legal changes that occurred between the years of 1865 and 1877. These changes, including the Reconstruction, began around the time of the Civil War and only continued to escalate after it had ended. Indeed, there were quite a few conflicts that came out of as well as were solved by the war, but some of the most instrumental had to do with how blacks were treated by the whites. As the war raged on, black cotton farmers were looking forward to a Northern victory, which would ultimately give them their freedom; however, if the South were to win, those in the Confederate states would succumb to the ongoing imprisonment of slavery. It appeared as though the white man did not want to part with all the money the black farmers were making for them, which is why they fought so hard to make sure slavery kept on going. After the North's victory, black cotton farmers finally received the freedom they so desperately wanted. When the Reconstruction Period arrived, it looked as though blacks were going to gain even more rights alongside the emancipation that had already taken place; however, it actually proved to represent a time "of much disappointment" (Kirkendale 2002, PG) for many. It was not that laws were not in place as a means by which to protect blacks from the injustices once faced, but those laws were often ignored by the whites. The provisions, as they called them, were meant to provide blacks with the ability to perform the same as others, without the restrictions of be... Free Essays on After The Civil War Free Essays on After The Civil War After the Civil War INTRODUCTION From the aftermath of the Civil War through the Spanish-American War and World War I, the United States had a prominent place on the international stage of politics between 1865 and 1920. This essay will give an overview of those years and some of the roles the United States played in the international political scene. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR There were tremendous political, economic, social, and legal changes that occurred between the years of 1865 and 1877. These changes, including the Reconstruction, began around the time of the Civil War and only continued to escalate after it had ended. Indeed, there were quite a few conflicts that came out of as well as were solved by the war, but some of the most instrumental had to do with how blacks were treated by the whites. As the war raged on, black cotton farmers were looking forward to a Northern victory, which would ultimately give them their freedom; however, if the South were to win, those in the Confederate states would succumb to the ongoing imprisonment of slavery. It appeared as though the white man did not want to part with all the money the black farmers were making for them, which is why they fought so hard to make sure slavery kept on going. After the North's victory, black cotton farmers finally received the freedom they so desperately wanted. When the Reconstruction Period arrived, it looked as though blacks were going to gain even more rights alongside the emancipation that had already taken place; however, it actually proved to represent a time "of much disappointment" (Kirkendale 2002, PG) for many. It was not that laws were not in place as a means by which to protect blacks from the injustices once faced, but those laws were often ignored by the whites. The provisions, as they called them, were meant to provide blacks with the ability to perform the same as others, without the restrictions of be...

Overview of the Rajput People of India

Overview of the Rajput People of India A Rajput is a member of northern Indias Hindu warrior caste. They live mainly in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. The word Rajput is a contracted form of raja, or monarch, and Putra, meaning son. According to legend, only the first son of a king could inherit the kingdom, so the later sons became military leaders. From these younger sons was born the Rajput warrior caste. The term Rajaputra was first mentioned around 300 B.C., in the Bhagvat Purana. The name gradually evolved to its current shortened form. Origins of the Rajputs The Rajputs were not a separately identified group until the 6th century AD. At that time, the Gupta empire broke up and there were repeated conflicts with the Hephthalites, the White Huns. They may have been absorbed into the existing society, including leaders into the Kshatriya rank. Others from the local tribes also ranked as Rajput. The Rajputs claim descent from three basic lineages or vanshas. Suryavanshi, the Solar Dynasty, descended from Surya, the Hindu Sun-god.Chadravanshi, the Lunar Dynasty descended from Chandra, the Hindu Moon-god. They include major sub-branches of Yaduvanshi (Lord Krisha was born into this branch) and Puruvanshi.Agnivanshi, the Fire Dynasty descended from Agni, the Hindu god of fire. This lineage has four clans: Chauhans, Paramara, Solanki, and Pratiharas. These all are divided into clans who claim direct patrilineal descent from a common male ancestor. These are then divided into sub-clans, shakhas, that have their own genealogical creed, which governs the laws of intermarriage. History of the Rajputs Rajputs ruled many small kingdoms in North India from the beginning of the 7th century. They were an obstacle to the Muslim conquest in North India. While they opposed invasion by the Muslims, they also battled among each other and were loyal to their clan rather than uniting. When the Mughal empire was established, some Rajput rulers were allies and also married their daughters to the emperors for political favor. The Rajputs revolted against the Mughal empire and led to its downfall in the 1680s. In the late 18th century, Rajput rulers formed an alliance with the East India Company. By the time of British influence, Rajputs ruled most of the princely states in Rajasthan and Saurashtra. Rajput soldiers were valued by the British. Purbiya soldiers from the eastern Ganga plains had long been mercenaries for Rajput rulers. The British gave more self-rule to the Rajput princes than to other areas of India. Upon independence from Britain in 1947, the princely states voted for whether to join India, Pakistan or remain independent. Twenty-two princely states joined India as the state of Rajasthan. Rajputs are now a Forward Caste in India, meaning they do not get any preferential treatment under the system of positive discrimination. Culture and Religion of Rajputs While many Rajputs are Hindu, others are Muslim or Sikh. Rajput rulers exhibited religious toleration to a greater or lesser extent. Rajputs generally secluded their women and were seen in older times to practice female infanticide and sati (widow immolation). They are usually not vegetarians and eat pork, as well as drinking alcohol.